The central dogma is a fundamental principle of molecular biology that explains the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein/04%3A_Molecular_Biology/4.01%3A_Central_Dogma_of_Molecular_Biology). The central dogma suggests that the pattern of information that occurs most frequently in our cells is:
- From existing DNA to make new DNA (DNA replication)
- From DNA to make new RNA (transcription)
- From RNA to make new proteins (translation)
During transcription, the information in the DNA of every cell is converted into small, portable RNA messages. These messages travel from where the DNA is in the cell nucleus to the ribosomes where they are ‘read’ to make specific proteins. The central dogma is a two-step process where DNA is transcribed into RNA, and RNA is translated into protein. However, with modern research, it is becoming clear that some aspects of the central dogma are not entirely accurate. Current research is focusing on investigating the function of non-coding RNA, which does not follow the central dogma but still has a functional role in the cell.
