Which process is the translation of genetic information into a polypeptide chain?

• A. Protein synthesis
• B. Evolution
• C. Autosomal chromosome
• D. Variation

Answer: (A)

Protein synthesis is the process by which genetic information encoded in mRNA is used to assemble a polypeptide chain. In translation, the ribosome reads mRNA codons and brings in the corresponding amino acids via tRNA adapters, linking them together to form the growing polypeptide, starting at a start codon and ending at a stop codon. This is how the nucleotide sequence is converted into a protein product. The other options describe different concepts: evolution involves changes in allele frequencies over generations; an autosomal chromosome is a type of chromosome; variation refers to differences among individuals. None of these describe the actual process of turning genetic information into a polypeptide chain.