The Roles of Nucleic Acids
There are two types of nucleic acids
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
DNA provides directions for its own replication
DNA directs synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA) and, through mRNA, controls protein synthesis
This process is called gene expression Each gene along a DNA molecule directs synthesis of a messenger RNA (mRNA)
The mRNA molecule interacts with the cell’s protein-synthesizing machinery to direct production of a polypeptide
The flow of genetic information can be summarized as DNA → RNA → protein