Which of the following processes occurs during RNA processing?

During RNA processing, splicing is a crucial step that occurs after transcription but before the mRNA is translated into a protein. This process involves the removal of non-coding regions known as introns from the pre-mRNA molecule, allowing the remaining coding sequences, called exons, to be joined together. This spliced mRNA is then ready for export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm for translation.

Splicing is important because it enables a single gene to produce multiple protein variants through alternative splicing, contributing to the complexity of protein functions in cells. This versatility allows organisms to adapt and utilize the information encoded in their DNA more effectively.

Other processes mentioned, such as translation, replication, and transcription termination, do not occur during RNA processing. Translation refers to the synthesis of proteins based on the mRNA sequence, replication involves the duplication of DNA, and transcription termination is the process of stopping RNA synthesis. While these processes are all part of the overall gene expression pathway, they do not directly pertain to the modifications that mRNA undergoes post-transcription.