RNA polymerase
nounUK /ˌɑːr en ˈeɪ pəˈlɪməreɪz/
US /ˌɑːr en ˈeɪ pəˈlɪməreɪs/
A tiny machine in a cell that copies instructions from DNA to make RNA.
RNA polymerase reads the DNA and builds a matching strand of RNA.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Any enzyme that links RNA nucleotides together to form an RNA chain.
Scientists studied how RNA polymerase adds each new nucleotide.
3. A protein complex that starts the process of copying genes into messenger RNA.
RNA polymerase binds to the promoter before transcription begins.
4. A molecular motor that moves along DNA during gene reading.
The RNA polymerase travels along the template strand as it works.