Which of the following statements is false?

• A. Transcription is the process that creates an RNA product from a sequence of DNA.
• B. RNA polymerase builds RNA molecules from a DNA template.
• C. A promoter is a sequence of DNA within a gene where RNA polymerase can begin transcription.
• D. RNA polymerase, like DNA polymerase, requires a primer to begin RNA synthesis.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the process of transcription: Transcription is the process by which a segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase. This is the first step in gene expression.
2. Identify the role of RNA polymerase: RNA polymerase is the enzyme responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template. It binds to the DNA and separates the DNA strands, using one strand as a template to build a complementary RNA strand.
3. Examine the function of a promoter: A promoter is a specific DNA sequence that signals the start of a gene. It is the site where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.
4. Compare RNA polymerase and DNA polymerase: DNA polymerase requires a primer to start DNA synthesis, which is a short nucleic acid sequence that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis. RNA polymerase, however, does not require a primer to begin RNA synthesis.
5. Identify the false statement: The statement 'RNA polymerase, like DNA polymerase, requires a primer to begin RNA synthesis' is false because RNA polymerase does not need a primer to start synthesizing RNA.