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Messenger RNA

Synonym(s)

RNA that serves as a template for protein synthesis.: Definition from: Office of Rare Diseases at the National Institutes of Health
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene. The mRNA is an RNA version of the gene that leaves the cell nucleus and moves to the cytoplasm where proteins are made. During protein synthesis, an organelle called a ribosome moves along the mRNA, reads its base sequence, and uses the genetic code to translate each three-base triplet, or codon, into its corresponding amino acid.: Definition from: Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms from the National Human Genome Research Institute


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