Describe the basic similarities and differences between DNA replication and transcription

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

DNA replication and transcription are similar processes in that they both involve the production of molecules of nucleic acids using a preexisting template. Therefore, they both involve the polymerization of nucleotides to create long chains, as well as the utilization of complementary base-pairing rules to create the nucleotide sequence of the new molecule based on the sequence of the template. Additionally, these chains of nucleotides are synthesized in the same direction, 5' to 3', regardless of the type of nucleic acid being produced. However, there are a number of differences between these two processes as well. During DNA replication, both DNA strands serve as templates, while only one DNA strand is the template for transcription. The product of DNA replication is an exact, complete DNA copy of an entire DNA molecule that will be passed on to the offspring of the cell producing it. The product of transcription is an RNA copy of a limited region (a gene) of a DNA molecule. Furthermore, this RNA molecule may not be an exact copy of the gene, because transcription is more prone to errors than DNA replication. The RNA molecules produced during transcription are used within the cell that produces them to provide information for the synthesis of proteins during translation.
Bloom's Taxonomy: Analysis
Section: Gene Function
Learning Outcome: 7.7, 7.10