How does transcription differ from translation?

Transcription and translation are two distinct processes involved in gene expression, and option B accurately captures this difference. During transcription, an RNA molecule is synthesized using a DNA template. Specifically, the enzyme RNA polymerase binds to a specific region of the DNA, unwinds the double helix, and assembles a single-stranded messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule by pairing complementary RNA nucleotides with the DNA template. This mRNA then carries the genetic information needed for protein synthesis.

Following transcription, the process of translation occurs, during which the mRNA is used as a template to assemble a polypeptide chain, ultimately folding into a functional protein. Translation takes place in the ribosome, where ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) facilitate the decoding of the mRNA sequence into a sequence of amino acids.

Overall, option B correctly highlights that transcription results in the synthesis of mRNA from a DNA template, while translation is the process that converts that mRNA into a protein. This distinction is fundamental to understanding the flow of genetic information within a cell, known as the central dogma of molecular biology.