Students are modeling mRNA during the process of protein synthesis. Which answer choice correctly describes the model of the mRNA strand being transcribed?

Question

The mRNA strand is an exact copy of the DNA template strand; however, uracil instead of adenine is paired with thymine.

The mRNA strand is complementary to the DNA template strand; however, uracil instead of adenine is paired with thymine.

The mRNA strand is an exact copy of the DNA template strand; however, uracil instead of thymine is paired with adenine.

The mRNA strand is complementary to the DNA template strand; however, uracil instead of thymine is paired with adenine.

Answer 1

The correct answer choice is:

The mRNA strand is complementary to the DNA template strand; however, uracil instead of thymine is paired with adenine.

In mRNA transcription, the mRNA strand is synthesized based on the complementarity to the DNA template strand. In this process, adenine (A) in the DNA pairs with uracil (U) in the mRNA, and thymine (T) in the DNA pairs with adenine (A) in the mRNA. So, uracil replaces thymine in RNA.