Template for protein synthesis. Each set of three bases, called codons, specifies a certain protein in the sequence of amino acids that comprise the protein. The sequence of a strand of mRNA is based on the sequence of a complementary strand of DNA.

Dr. Paul Meltzer, of the National Human Genome Research Institute's Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, defines messenger RNA (mRNA).

Related terms: gene, nucleus, protein, ribonucleic acid (RNA).