When we say a gene is expressing itself, what does "gene expression" mean in relation to protein synthesis?
The term “gene expression” is relative to the process of protein synthesis because it directly facilitates and undergoes this process to produce specific proteins that will represent the genes phenotypically or outside the borders of the cell’s structure. During gene expression, a gene’s deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA serves as a template in order to produce proteins. The DNA undergoes two major processes called transcription and translation. The DNA template is transcribed into an RNA molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) and the specific, transcribed message contained in the mRNA is then translated into a sequence of nucleotides and amino acids which shall build the resulting protein molecules. Basically, gene expression is an example of how proteins are synthesized.