An RNA molecule that transfers the coding information for protein synthesis from the chromosomes to the ribosomes. mRNA is formed from a DNA template by transcription. It may be a copy of a single gene or of several adjacent genes (polycistronic mRNA). On the ribosome, the sequence is converted into the programmed amino acid sequence through translation.
Source:
PAC, 1992, 64, 143. 'Glossary for chemists of terms used in biotechnology (IUPAC Recommendations 1992)' on page 160 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199264010143)