Which process results in the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template?

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The synthesis of RNA from a DNA template is specifically defined as transcription. During this process, an enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to a specific region of the DNA, unwinding the double helix and using one of the strands as a template to synthesize a complementary RNA strand. This RNA strand is synthesized in the 5' to 3' direction and is a direct copy of the coding sequence of the gene, except that thymine (T) in DNA is replaced by uracil (U) in RNA.

This transcription process is a critical step in gene expression, allowing the information encoded in DNA to be translated into functional proteins. The resultant RNA can then undergo further processing (in eukaryotes) before being translated into a protein. Other processes, such as replication, involve duplicating the entire DNA molecule, while translation refers to the synthesis of proteins based on the RNA sequence. The term expression encompasses both transcription and translation, but it does not specifically denote the synthesis of RNA from DNA. Thus, transcription uniquely identifies the production of RNA from a DNA template.

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