How Many Strands of DNA are Used as a Template

Question

How many strands of DNA are used as a template during the process of transcription?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
E) None of these

Accepted Answer

During transcription, only one strand of DNA is used as a template to synthesize an RNA molecule. The DNA strand that serves as a template is chosen based on the sequence of the promoter region, which signals the start of a gene. The other DNA strand serves as the non-template or coding strand, which has the same sequence as the RNA molecule being synthesized, except for the substitution of uracil (U) for thymine (T). Only one of the DNA strands is needed to produce a complementary RNA strand.