RNA polymerase

RNA polymerase is an enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a nucleic acid template by joining ribonucleotides with phosphodiester bonds. It carries out transcription in cells and is also used in laboratory methods.

Transcription: Transcription is the synthesis of RNA from a DNA or RNA template. RNA polymerase is the enzyme that performs transcription.
RNA: RNA is a nucleic acid composed of ribonucleotides and usually found as a single strand. RNA polymerase produces RNA chains as its direct products.
DNA polymerase: DNA polymerase is an enzyme that synthesizes DNA using a nucleic acid template. Unlike RNA polymerase, it builds DNA rather than RNA and generally requires a primer.
Gene expression: Gene expression is the use of genetic information to produce functional RNA or protein products. RNA polymerase initiates the RNA-producing stage of gene expression.
Promoter: A promoter is a DNA sequence where transcription machinery assembles to initiate transcription. RNA polymerase is recruited and positioned at promoters to begin RNA synthesis.
DNA: DNA is a nucleic acid that stores hereditary information in most organisms. Most cellular RNA polymerases copy DNA templates into RNA.
Reverse transcriptase: Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that synthesizes DNA from an RNA template. It reverses the usual information flow by copying RNA into DNA.
Messenger RNA: Messenger RNA is an RNA molecule that carries protein-coding information for translation. RNA polymerase II produces most cellular messenger RNA in eukaryotes.
Transcription initiation: Transcription initiation is the process by which RNA synthesis begins at a specific template site. RNA polymerase must recognize a start site and form an initial RNA chain.
Nucleic acid: A nucleic acid is a polymer of nucleotides that stores, transmits, or expresses biological information. RNA polymerase acts on nucleic acid templates and creates a nucleic acid product.

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