Which processes are key to inheritance?

• A. DNA transcription only.
• B. Protein folding and post-translational modification.
• C. DNA replication, transcription, and translation.
• D. RNA splicing and editing only.

Answer: (C)

Genetic inheritance relies on the flow and preservation of information through the central dogma: DNA is replicated, then information is transcribed into RNA and translated into proteins. DNA replication copies the genome so it can be passed to daughter cells during cell division, ensuring each new cell has the same genetic material. Transcription converts the DNA code into RNA, which serves as a template for building proteins. Translation then uses the RNA to synthesize proteins, the molecules that carry out cellular functions and influence phenotypes.

If you consider only transcription, you’re not ensuring the genome is duplicated for inheritance. Protein folding and post-translational modification are downstream functional changes and don’t convey heritable information themselves. RNA splicing and editing modify transcripts but don’t by themselves guarantee the faithful transmission of genetic material to progeny. Therefore, the combination of DNA replication, transcription, and translation best captures the processes key to inheritance.