What process follows transcription in protein synthesis?

In protein synthesis, after transcription, the next crucial step is translation. Transcription is the process where a specific segment of DNA is copied into mRNA, which carries the genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Once transcription is complete, the mRNA produced moves to the ribosome, where translation occurs.

During translation, the ribosome reads the sequence of the mRNA in sets of three nucleotides, known as codons. Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid, which are the building blocks of proteins. Transfer RNA (tRNA) brings the appropriate amino acids to the ribosome in the correct order dictated by the mRNA sequence. These amino acids are linked together to form a polypeptide chain that will fold into a functional protein.

The other processes listed do not follow transcription in protein synthesis. Replication refers to the duplication of DNA and occurs prior to cell division, while mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that might happen over time but is not a direct step in the process of producing proteins. Transcription termination does occur at the end of the transcription process, but it does not represent the next step in protein synthesis since translation is what directly follows transcription.