The informational relationships among DNA, RNA, and protein are intertwined: genomic DNA directs the synthesis and sequence of RNA, RNA directs the synthesis and sequence of polypeptides, and specific proteins are involved in the synthesis and metabolism of DNA and RNA. This flow of information is referred to as the central dogma of molecular biology.

Genetic information is stored in the DNA of the genome by means of a code (the genetic code, discussed later) in which the sequence of adjacent bases ultimately determines the sequence of amino acids in the encoded polypeptide. First, RNA is synthesized from the DNA template through a process known as transcription. The RNA, carrying the coded information in a form called messenger RNA (mRNA), is then transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where the RNA sequence is decoded, or translated, to determine the sequence of amino acids in the protein being synthesized. The process of translation occurs on ribosomes, which are cytoplasmic organelles with binding sites for all of the interacting molecules, including the mRNA, involved in protein synthesis. Ribosomes are themselves made up of many different structural proteins in association with specialized types of RNA known as ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Translation involves yet a third type of RNA, transfer RNA (tRNA), which provides the molecular link between the code contained in the base sequence of each mRNA and the amino acid sequence of the protein encoded by that mRNA.

Because of the interdependent flow of information represented by the central dogma, one can begin discussion of the molecular genetics of gene expression at any of its three informational levels: DNA, RNA, or protein. We begin by examining the structure of genes in the genome as a foundation for discussion of the genetic code, transcription, and translation.

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