Which statement best describes transcription termination?

• A. Termination involves only termination of RNA polymerase activity
• B. Release of RNA polymerase and the transcript
• C. Renaturation of copied DNA
• D. Synthesis continues indefinitely

Answer: (B)

Transcription termination is the point at which the RNA polymerase stops and the newly made RNA transcript is released. The key idea is that termination ends both the synthesis and the association of the polymerase with the DNA, freeing the transcript.

This option is the best because it explicitly describes both parts of termination: the release of RNA polymerase and the transcript. Without the transcript being released, transcription wouldn’t be truly finished, and the polymerase wouldn’t fully disengage from the DNA.

Other statements miss essential aspects. Saying termination only stops the polymerase ignores the release of the RNA molecule. Renaturation of the copied DNA relates to re-forming the DNA double helix after the transcription bubble closes, not the termination event itself. Saying synthesis continues indefinitely contradicts the definition of termination.