Which statement best describes the process of translation in cells?

• A. Translation is the process by which genetic information is replicated during cell division.
• B. Translation is the process by which DNA is copied into RNA.
• C. Translation is the process by which the sequence of an mRNA molecule is used to synthesize a polypeptide chain.
• D. Translation is the process by which proteins are broken down into amino acids.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of translation in biology. Translation is the process in which the sequence of a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule is decoded to produce a specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain, which ultimately forms a protein.
2. Step 2: Recall the central dogma of molecular biology, which describes the flow of genetic information: DNA is transcribed into RNA, and RNA is translated into proteins. Translation specifically refers to the second part of this process, where mRNA is used as a template to synthesize proteins.
3. Step 3: Identify the key components involved in translation. These include mRNA (carrying the genetic code), ribosomes (the site of protein synthesis), transfer RNA (tRNA, which brings amino acids to the ribosome), and amino acids (the building blocks of proteins).
4. Step 4: Recognize the steps of translation: initiation (where the ribosome assembles around the start codon of the mRNA), elongation (where tRNA molecules bring amino acids to the ribosome, and the polypeptide chain grows), and termination (where the ribosome reaches a stop codon and releases the completed polypeptide).
5. Step 5: Compare the provided statements to the definition of translation. The correct statement is: 'Translation is the process by which the sequence of an mRNA molecule is used to synthesize a polypeptide chain,' as this accurately describes the biological process of translation.