What is the primary purpose of RNA splicing?

The primary purpose of RNA splicing is to remove introns and join exons. In the process of gene expression, initially, a precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) molecule is synthesized, which includes both coding sequences (exons) and non-coding sequences (introns). To produce a mature mRNA that can be translated into a protein, the introns must be excised. This splicing process involves the recognition of specific sequences at the intron-exon boundaries and the removal of introns, allowing the remaining exons to be joined or ligated together. This results in the final mRNA transcript that contains only the coding sequences necessary for protein synthesis.

Understanding this process is crucial, as it not only contributes to the diversity of proteins that can be synthesized (through alternative splicing) but also ensures that the genetic information is accurately conveyed from DNA to RNA and ultimately to protein.