In molecular biology, translation is the process by which the genetic code is used to build a protein. Considering a DNA sequence such as AAGCTGGGA, translation of this information will ultimately produce which type of product?

Introduction / Context:
The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. Two key processes in this flow are transcription and translation. Transcription produces RNA from a DNA template, whereas translation uses the information on messenger RNA to build a chain of amino acids. Many exam questions distinguish between these processes by asking what translation specifically produces. This question focuses on that concept using an example DNA sequence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A DNA sequence such as AAGCTGGGA is mentioned as the source of genetic information.
• The term translation is explicitly used, referring to the step after transcription.
• The options include DNA strands, mRNA strands, and a sequence of amino acids.
• We assume standard definitions: transcription makes RNA, translation makes protein.

Concept / Approach:
In cells, the genetic code stored in DNA is first copied into mRNA by transcription. Then ribosomes read the codons on the mRNA and match them with appropriate amino acids, joining them together by peptide bonds. This assembly of amino acids is called a polypeptide chain, which folds into a functional protein. Translation therefore describes the process of converting nucleotide information into an amino acid sequence. It does not produce new DNA strands or mRNA strands as its final product; those are products of DNA replication and transcription respectively.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the central dogma: DNA is transcribed into RNA, and RNA is translated into protein. Step 2: Recognise that translation always refers to the step where ribosomes use mRNA codons to assemble amino acids into a chain. Step 3: Understand that replication, not translation, produces a complementary DNA strand such as TTCGACCCT. Step 4: Transcription produces an RNA copy from DNA, for example an mRNA strand, but this is again not translation. Step 5: Translation uses the mRNA to build a polypeptide, which is a sequence of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Therefore the correct description of the product of translation is a chain of amino acids, not a new DNA or RNA strand.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks and diagrams of gene expression clearly label translation as the step occurring on ribosomes, where transfer RNA molecules bring specific amino acids that are matched to codons on the mRNA. The final result shown in such diagrams is always a polypeptide or protein, illustrated as a chain of amino acid residues. DNA replication and transcription are drawn separately and are not labelled as translation. This consistent visual and textual explanation confirms that translation produces a sequence of amino acids joined by peptide bonds.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A complementary DNA strand with the base sequence TTCGACCCT would be formed by DNA replication, not by translation, so option A is incorrect. An mRNA strand with the base sequence TTCGACCCT would arise by transcription if the DNA template and coding directions were specified, but this is again not translation, making option B wrong. An mRNA strand with the base sequence UUGCACCCU is simply another possible RNA sequence and still represents transcription product, not the protein product of translation, so option D is also wrong.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to confuse the steps of gene expression, especially if you remember that both DNA and RNA are built from nucleotides. Some students mistakenly think translation means copying DNA into RNA or vice versa. Another mistake is to focus too much on base sequences and forget that translation actually changes the language of the code from nucleotides to amino acids. To avoid this confusion, remember that transcription deals with nucleic acids only, but translation is the stage where the amino acid sequence is produced.

Final Answer:
The correct choice is A sequence of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds to form a polypeptide, because translation is the process that converts genetic information into a protein product.