The central dogma of molecular biology explains the flow of genetic information within a cell
- DNA codes for RNA via the process of transcription (occurs within the nucleus)
- RNA codes for protein via the process of translation (occurs at the ribosomes)
This information flow was always considered to be uni-directional: DNA → RNA → Protein
However in 1970 it was discovered that retroviruses could copy DNA from an RNA sequence
- These viruses possess an enzyme (reverse transcriptase) that allows for reverse transcription to occur
- Reverse transcription is now commonly used in scientific studies to establish gene expression profiles
The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
