Transcription factors

Transcription Factors

Transcription factors (pronounced: tran-skrip-shun fak-torz) are proteins that regulate the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA by binding to specific DNA sequences. The function of transcription factors is to turn genes on or off, influencing the production of proteins in the cell.

Etymology

The term "transcription factor" is derived from the process it is involved in, transcription. "Transcription" comes from the Latin word "transcribere", which means "to copy". "Factor" is derived from the Latin "facere", meaning "to make" or "to do". Thus, a transcription factor is something that "makes" or "does" the copying of genetic information.

Related Terms

Gene: A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
Protein: A molecule composed of polymers of amino acids joined together by peptide bonds.
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
RNA: Ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins.
Messenger RNA (mRNA): A subtype of RNA. An mRNA molecule carries a portion of the DNA code to other parts of the cell for processing.
Genetic Information: Information stored in the form of DNA sequences that determine the characteristics of an organism.
DNA Sequence: The process of determining the precise order of nucleotides within a DNA molecule.