What occurs during the process of translation in protein synthesis?

During the process of translation in protein synthesis, decoding mRNA into a polypeptide chain is the key event. Translation occurs in the ribosome, where messenger RNA (mRNA) is used as a template to determine the sequence of amino acids that will be linked together to form a protein.

This process starts when the ribosome binds to the mRNA. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules, each carrying a specific amino acid, recognize and bind to the corresponding codons on the mRNA strand. The ribosome facilitates the formation of peptide bonds between the amino acids, effectively elongating the polypeptide chain as it reads the sequence of codons on the mRNA.

This is a crucial stage of gene expression, as it directly translates the genetic information encoded in mRNA into functional proteins, which are essential for various cellular functions and processes. Thus, the answer accurately reflects a fundamental aspect of molecular biology concerning how proteins are synthesized from genetic instructions.