DNA Replication: DNA replication is the process by which a cell makes an identical copy of its DNA. It occurs during the cell cycle to ensure that each daughter cell receives a complete set of genetic instructions. DNA replication is a highly accurate process in which the DNA double helix is unwound, and each strand serves as a template for the synthesis of a complementary strand.
Transcription: Transcription is the process by which a segment of DNA is used as a template to synthesize a complementary RNA molecule. It is the first step in the central dogma of molecular biology, which describes how genetic information is used to produce proteins. In transcription, an enzyme called RNA polymerase reads the DNA template and assembles a single-stranded RNA molecule, known as messenger RNA (mRNA), by matching RNA nucleotides to the DNA template.
Translation: Translation is the process in which the information contained in an mRNA molecule is used to synthesize a protein. This process occurs at ribosomes, cellular structures that serve as the protein-manufacturing factories. During translation, the mRNA is read in sets of three nucleotides called codons. Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid, the building blocks of proteins.