mRNA Processing: Splicing, Capping, Tailing — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2017The second complexity is that the primary transcripts contain both the exons and the introns and are non-functional. Hence, it is subjected to a process called splicing where the introns are removed and exons are joined in a defined order. hnRNA undergoes additional processing called as capping and tailing. In capping an unusual nucleotide (methyl guanosine triphosphate) is added to the 5'-end of hnRNA. In tailing, adenylate residues (200-300) are added at 3'-end in a template independent manner. It is the fully processed hnRNA, now called mRNA, that is transported out of the nucleus for translation.
NTA tests your understanding of post-transcriptional modifications that convert hnRNA (primary transcript) into functional mRNA. The core concept is that eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains both exons and introns; splicing removes introns and joins exons, then capping (7-methylguanosine at 5' end) and polyadenylation (200-300 adenines at 3' end) occur. Students often confuse which end gets which modification or forget that prokaryotes lack this entire processing step. Remember: capping = 5' end (methylated guanosine), tailing = 3' end (poly-A tail). This is tested because understanding mRNA maturation distinguishes eukaryotic from prokaryotic gene expression—a fundamental NEET concept.
Spliceosomes are not found in the cells of: (NEET 2017)
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.