RNA's Role in the Central Dogma

The central dogma of molecular biology explains that DNA codes for RNA, which codes for proteins. DNA is the molecule of heredity that passes from parents to offspring. It contains the instructions for building RNA and proteins, which make up the structure of the body and carry out most of its functions.

Inside the cells of all living things, tiny molecular machines are constantly reading the information in DNA and using it to build proteins. In exploring the activity below, you will learn about the three types of RNA are essential to this process: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

Special Credit

Many of the illustrations on this page were inspired by the work of David Goodsell and the Protein Data Bank's Molecule of the Month.

  • Funding

    This work was supported by Science Education Partnership Awards (Nos. R25RR023288 and 1R25GM021903) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.

    The contents provided here are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIH.


APA format:

Genetic Science Learning Center. (2016, March 1) RNA's Role in the Central Dogma. Retrieved March 24, 2024, from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/centraldogma/

CSE format:

RNA's Role in the Central Dogma [Internet]. Salt Lake City (UT): Genetic Science Learning Center; 2016 [cited 2024 Mar 24] Available from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/centraldogma/

Chicago format:

Genetic Science Learning Center. "RNA's Role in the Central Dogma." Learn.Genetics. March 1, 2016. Accessed March 24, 2024. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/centraldogma/.