What is the process by which amino acids are linked together to form proteins?

The process by which amino acids are linked together to form proteins is known as translation. During translation, the messenger RNA (mRNA) that has been synthesized from a DNA template during transcription is read by ribosomes. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring specific amino acids to the ribosome, where the sequence of nucleotides in the mRNA dictates the order in which the amino acids are linked together. This sequence determines the polypeptide chain that ultimately folds into a functional protein. Understanding this process is critical, as it is fundamental to how genetic information is expressed as physical traits through protein synthesis.

Other options, while related to genetic processes, do not describe the formation of proteins. Transcription refers to the process of copying DNA into mRNA, replication is the duplication of DNA, and gene expression encompasses both transcription and translation but does not specifically denote the linking of amino acids.