Which statement best describes transcription?

• A. It uses DNA as a template to synthesize an RNA copy
• B. It occurs in the cytoplasm
• C. It directly makes proteins
• D. It uses RNA as a template to copy DNA

Answer: (A)

Transcription is the process of using a DNA template to synthesize an RNA molecule, carried out by RNA polymerase. This RNA can be mRNA, tRNA, or rRNA and will later be used to build proteins during translation. In eukaryotic cells, transcription occurs in the nucleus (prokaryotes do it in the cytoplasm). It does not directly make proteins—that step is translation, where the RNA sequence is read to assemble a protein. Using RNA as a template to copy DNA would be reverse transcription, not transcription.