The process of transcription is used to transfer the genetic material in DNA to a functional copy called mRNA. Either strand of the DNA can be used to make RNA, but the RNA can only be created in the 5' to 3' direction. mRNA is created by using one of the strands of DNA as a template, and utilizing the base pairs of each base to create a complementary strand of genetic material. What differentiates transcription from replication (and mRNA from DNA) is that instead of thymine, adenine pairs to a base called uracil which is only found on RNA. After transcription, the following two strands of mRNA would be created:

The process of transcription is used to transfer the genetic material in DNA to a functional copy called mRNA. Either strand of the DNA can be used to make RNA, but the RNA can only be created in the 5' to 3' direction. mRNA is created by using one of the strands of DNA as a template, and utilizing the base pairs of each base to create a complementary strand of genetic material. What differentiates transcription from replication (and mRNA from DNA) is that instead of thymine, adenine pairs to a base called uracil which is only found on RNA. After transcription, the following two strands of mRNA would be created:

  5'-uaaaaugccgccagcggaacuggcggcuggguuauacgcggaacaugguauuagcauacg-3' <!-- mRNA created when top strand is template strand -->

  5'-cgu aug cua aua cca ugu ucc gcg uau aac cca gcc gcc agu ucc gcu ggc ggc auu uua-3' <!-- mRNA created when bottom strand is template strand -->  

  5'-cguaugcuaauaccauguuccgcguauaacccagccgccaguuccgcuggcggcauuuua-3' <!-- mRNA created when bottom strand is template strand -->

  5'-uaa aau gcc gcc agc gga acu ggc ggc ugg guu aua cgc gga aca ugg uau uag cau acg-3' <!-- mRNA created when top strand is template strand -->

===Translation===

===Translation===

Once the mRNAs have been created, the cell is now prepared to translate genetic material into a protein.  

Once the mRNAs have been created, the cell is now prepared to translate genetic material into a protein. Because the mRNA is translated into protein using codons made up of 3 amino acids, there are a total of 6 possible reading frames for protein production from the two strands of mRNA created from the initial segment if DNA. Below are each of the 6 possible proteins that could be created by the 6 different reading frames.