What is the process by which RNA is decoded to form polypeptides?

The process by which RNA is decoded to form polypeptides is called translation. During translation, messenger RNA (mRNA), which has been synthesized during transcription using DNA as a template, is read by ribosomes. Ribosomes facilitate the assembly of amino acids into a polypeptide chain based on the sequence of codons in the mRNA. Each codon, a set of three nucleotides, corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal in the protein synthesis process.

Translation occurs in three main stages: initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, the ribosome assembles around the mRNA and the first transfer RNA (tRNA), which carries the corresponding amino acid, is paired with the start codon of the mRNA. During elongation, the ribosome moves along the mRNA, adding amino acids brought in by tRNA molecules, forming a growing polypeptide chain. Termination occurs when the ribosome reaches a stop codon, signaling the end of protein synthesis and releasing the completed polypeptide for further modifications and folding.

In summary, translation is the critical step where the genetic code carried by RNA is translated into a functional product—proteins—which carry out various roles in the cell, such as