What does mRNA specify in the process of translation?

In the process of translation, mRNA (messenger RNA) plays a crucial role by serving as a template that specifies the sequence of amino acids in a protein. During translation, ribosomes read the codons on the mRNA strand, which are sets of three nucleotides. Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid or a stop signal in protein synthesis. Therefore, the order of codons in the mRNA determines the sequence in which amino acids are added to the growing polypeptide chain, ultimately leading to the formation of a functional protein. This correlation between the mRNA sequence and the amino acid sequence is fundamental to the process of gene expression where proteins are synthesized based on the information encoded in the corresponding gene.