What is the central dogma of molecular biology?

• A. DNA is transcribed into RNA, which is translated into protein.
• B. Protein is transcribed into DNA, which is translated into RNA.
• C. RNA is copied into DNA, which becomes protein.
• D. Protein is synthesized directly from DNA without RNA.

Answer: (A)

Genetic information flows from DNA to RNA and then to protein. DNA serves as the template for transcription, producing RNA, and the RNA sequence is used during translation to assemble a chain of amino acids into a protein. This two-step path—DNA to RNA to protein—explains how genes direct the production of cellular functions. Transcription uses RNA polymerase to make mRNA from DNA, and translation takes place at ribosomes with tRNAs bringing amino acids according to the mRNA codons. The idea that information would skip RNA or move backward (RNA to DNA) doesn’t reflect how gene expression typically operates in cells, so the statement describing this two-stage flow is the best answer.