What is the Central Dogma of Biology?

What is the Central Dogma of Biology?

• A. Protein → RNA → DNA
• B. RNA → DNA → Protein
• C. DNA → RNA → Protein
• D. DNA → Protein → RNA

Answer: (C)

Genetic information in cells moves in a fixed direction: DNA → RNA → Protein. First, transcription copies a gene’s DNA sequence into messenger RNA, using RNA polymerase. Then translation uses that mRNA as a blueprint to assemble a chain of amino acids into a protein on a ribosome, with the help of transfer RNAs. This two-step flow explains how genetic information stored in DNA ultimately produces the functional molecules—proteins—that drive most cellular tasks. There are special cases, like retroviruses, where RNA is reverse-transcribed into DNA, but for the typical cellular pathway the direction remains DNA to RNA to Protein.

Genetic information in cells moves in a fixed direction: DNA → RNA → Protein. First, transcription copies a gene’s DNA sequence into messenger RNA, using RNA polymerase. Then translation uses that mRNA as a blueprint to assemble a chain of amino acids into a protein on a ribosome, with the help of transfer RNAs. This two-step flow explains how genetic information stored in DNA ultimately produces the functional molecules—proteins—that drive most cellular tasks. There are special cases, like retroviruses, where RNA is reverse-transcribed into DNA, but for the typical cellular pathway the direction remains DNA to RNA to Protein.