Chromosomes and DNA discusses DNA replication and gene expression. DNA must be replicated before cell division so that each new cell contains the full DNA amount. Replication involves unwinding DNA and using it as a template to produce two new DNA strands. Gene expression includes transcription of DNA into mRNA and translation of mRNA into proteins. Transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm. During translation, mRNA codons are decoded by tRNA to assemble amino acids into polypeptide chains.