What mechanism is responsible for transferring the genetic code from DNA to the site of protein synthesis?

The mechanism responsible for transferring the genetic code from DNA to the site of protein synthesis is transcription. During transcription, the DNA sequence of a gene is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). This process occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells where the DNA resides. The RNA polymerase enzyme binds to the DNA at the promoter region and unwinds the DNA strands, synthesizing a complementary strand of RNA based on the DNA template.

Once this mRNA is synthesized, it undergoes processing events such as capping, tailing, and splicing before it exits the nucleus into the cytoplasm. There, the mRNA serves as a template for translation, which is the process of synthesizing proteins based on the sequence of the mRNA. Through this two-step process—transcription followed by translation—the genetic information encoded in DNA is ultimately expressed as functional proteins.

Other mechanisms listed, such as replication, involve copying the entire DNA molecule for cell division, while translation focuses on the synthesis of proteins from the mRNA. Translocation typically refers to the movement of genes within a chromosome or between chromosomes and is not involved in the direct transfer of genetic code necessary for protein synthesis.