Mississippi State Biology 1 Practice Test

Messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a critical role in the process of gene expression. It is composed of nucleotide sequences that are transcribed from DNA and serves as a template during translation to synthesize proteins. The primary function of mRNA is to carry the genetic information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where proteins are synthesized.

The information contained in mRNA is specifically the codons that correspond to the amino acids in a polypeptide chain. This means that mRNA reflects the sequence of nucleotides in the gene, which dictates the order in which amino acids will be added to the growing polypeptide during protein synthesis.

While other types of RNA, like transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA), play essential roles in translation and protein synthesis, it is the mRNA that provides the code necessary for assembling those amino acids into a functional protein. Therefore, the statement that mRNA contains the information to make a polypeptide accurately describes its function in the process of protein synthesis.