The role of DNA in the synthesis of proteins is crucial, as it provides the instructions for assembling amino acids into proteins. This process occurs in two main steps: transcription and translation. During transcription, a specific segment of DNA is copied into messenger RNA (mRNA). This mRNA then travels to the ribosome, where translation takes place, and ribosomes read the mRNA code to link amino acids together in the correct order to form a specific protein. This protein synthesis is vital for the structure and function of living cells.