Single gene transcript. Colored Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of a single duplicated gene of the midge insect Chironomus sp. (family: Chironomidae). This gene is known as Balbiani ring 2. It codes for a fibrous protein which forms the tube in which the midge larva lives. Transcription is the process by which a gene is replicated into RNA (ribonucleic acid), from which the gene expresses itself and forms specific proteins. This gene is found on chromosome 4 of the midge insect. The midge is a subject of study because of its giant (polytene) chromosomes which are easier to view under the microscope. Magnification: x70,000 at 5x7cm size.