What is the role of transcription in the process of protein synthesis?

Transcription plays a crucial role in the process of protein synthesis by converting DNA into mRNA. This step is essential because DNA contains the genetic information required to synthesize proteins, but it cannot be directly translated into amino acids. During transcription, an enzyme called RNA polymerase binds to the DNA at a specific region known as the promoter. It then unwinds the DNA strands and synthesizes a complementary strand of mRNA by pairing the appropriate RNA nucleotides with the DNA template.

This newly synthesized mRNA strand carries the genetic instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome, where translation occurs to produce proteins. The mRNA molecule is a crucial intermediary that ensures that genetic information is preserved and accurately transcribed from DNA before it is used to assemble amino acids into proteins.

The other options confuse different aspects of gene expression. For instance, translation refers to the process of converting the mRNA sequence into a chain of amino acids, while direct synthesis of proteins occurs during translation. The degradation of mRNA is another separate process called mRNA turnover, which regulates the availability of messages for protein synthesis after they have been used. Thus, option B accurately captures the specific function of transcription in relation to protein synthesis.