In which process does RNA serve as a template for synthesizing proteins?

The process in which RNA serves as a template for synthesizing proteins is translation. During translation, the information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA) is used by ribosomes to build polypeptide chains, which fold into functional proteins. This process occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell, where ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and various other factors come together to facilitate protein synthesis.

In translation, the mRNA sequence is read in sets of three nucleotides called codons, each of which corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal. Transfer RNA molecules recognize these codons through their anticodon regions and bring the appropriate amino acids to the ribosome, where they are linked together via peptide bonds to form a growing polypeptide chain.

This process is distinct from transcription, where DNA is copied into RNA, and from replication, which involves the duplication of DNA. Modification typically refers to post-transcriptional events where RNA is processed before it goes on to be translated; this includes capping, polyadenylation, and splicing, but does not involve the synthesis of proteins directly. Therefore, the choice of translation accurately describes the role of RNA in protein synthesis.