Initiation, elongation, and termination are the three stages in the process of transcription, which is the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template.
1) Initiation: This is the beginning of transcription. In this stage, an enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to the DNA at a specific sequence of nucleotides called the "promoter" region. The RNA polymerase opens up the DNA double helix at this point, exposing the nucleotides, and then begins to move along the DNA.
2) Elongation: This is the stage during which RNA polymerase moves along the DNA, synthesizing an RNA molecule that is complementary to one strand of the DNA template. As RNA polymerase moves along, it reads the DNA template and uses the nucleotides to build the RNA molecule.
3) Termination: This is the end of transcription. In this stage, RNA polymerase reaches a terminator sequence in the DNA, which signals the end of the gene being transcribed. At this point, RNA polymerase disengages from the DNA template, and the newly synthesized RNA molecule is released. The RNA molecule can then be used as a template for translation, the process by which proteins are synthesized.
INITIATION, ELONGATION AND TERMINATION
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