What does the process of transcription ultimately produce?

Transcription is a fundamental process in molecular biology responsible for synthesizing RNA from a DNA template. During transcription, RNA polymerase binds to a specific region of the DNA known as the promoter, unwinds the DNA strands, and assembles a complementary strand of RNA by incorporating ribonucleotides that are complementary to the DNA template strand.

The end result of transcription is the formation of a single-stranded RNA molecule, which can take several forms, such as messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), or ribosomal RNA (rRNA), depending on the gene being transcribed. This RNA molecule then plays a critical role in the next stage of gene expression, where mRNA undergoes translation to become a protein.

Thus, the correct answer reflects that the product of transcription is RNA, which serves as the key intermediate in the process of translating genetic information into functional proteins.