What is the function of mRNA?

• A. It carries genetic information from the nucleus to the ribosomes for protein synthesis
• B. It binds amino acids and helps assemble the ribosome
• C. It travels from the nucleus to the ribosomes carrying protein building instructions
• D. It participates in protein folding after synthesis

Answer: (C)

mRNA acts as the messenger that carries the genetic instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome in the cytoplasm, where those instructions guide protein synthesis. Its sequence of codons serves as a template for the ribosome to assemble the correct order of amino acids. This explicit role—moving from the nucleus to the ribosome and providing the protein-building instructions—is why this option best captures mRNA’s function.

Other RNA players do different jobs: binding amino acids and helping assemble the ribosome describes tRNA, and participating in protein folding after synthesis involves chaperone proteins. The idea of carrying genetic information is close but less precise about serving as the concrete template for translation.