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What are microRNAs?

MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, are small, non-coding molecules of RNA. They are typically around 19-24 nucleotides long and play an important role in determining how much messenger RNA (mRNA), which carries genetic information, eventually gets translated into protein.

The body makes proteins in a complex process with two broad steps.

1. In the transcription step, a cell copies a DNA sequence into messenger RNA (mRNA) in the nucleus. The mRNA moves from the nucleus, through the cell fluid, and attaches itself to the ribosome.
2. In the translation step, another type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) brings specific amino acids to the ribosome, where they are linked together in the order specified by the mRNA to make the protein.

Micro RNA, or miRNA, regulates the production of proteins by bonding with and subsequently silencing the mRNA at an appropriate juncture. The process is called post-transcriptional gene regulation.

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