Transcription occurs before translation. Transcription is the process by which DNA is copied to RNA, and it takes place in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. During transcription, the DNA sequence of a gene is copied into RNA, and the RNA molecule serves as a code for the formation of an amino-acid chain. After transcription is complete, the RNA transcript that is ready to be used in translation is called messenger RNA (mRNA) . Translation, on the other hand, is the process where mRNA synthesizes proteins, and it takes place in the cytoplasm and endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. During translation, the mRNA dictates the order in which amino acids should be added to a growing protein as it is synthesized. The resulting protein chains can be hundreds of amino acids in length, and synthesizing these molecules requires a huge amount of chemical energy.