What process describes how a gene produces its product and that product carries out its function?

The process that describes how a gene produces its product and that product carries out its function is gene expression. Gene expression encompasses the entire process by which information encoded in a gene is used to synthesize functional products, typically proteins, which perform specific functions in the cell.

This process starts with transcription, where a specific segment of DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA). The mRNA is then translated into a protein in the subsequent translation phase, where ribosomes read the mRNA sequence and assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain that folds into a functional protein.

Gene expression is not only about the production of these molecules but also involves the regulation of how much product is made and when. This regulation ensures that proteins are produced in appropriate amounts and at the right time, highlighting the complexity and importance of this process in cellular function and overall biology.

While DNA replication, transcription, and translation are essential components of the genetic flow of information, gene expression is the broader term that encapsulates the entire process from gene activation to final functional product.