In eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the ____ and translation occurs in the ____.

In eukaryotic cells, transcription takes place in the nucleus because this is where the DNA is located. During transcription, messenger RNA (mRNA) is synthesized based on the DNA template. Once transcription is complete, the mRNA molecule undergoes several processing steps, including capping, polyadenylation, and splicing, before being transported out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm.

Translation, on the other hand, occurs in the cytoplasm. This process involves ribosomes reading the mRNA sequence to synthesize proteins. The ribosomes can be free within the cytoplasm or bound to the endoplasmic reticulum, forming rough ER. The assembled amino acids form proteins according to the sequence encoded in the mRNA.

The choice that states transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation occurs in the cytosol appropriately captures the distinct locations where these two fundamental processes of gene expression happen in eukaryotes.