The conversion of an mRNA transcript (see transcription) into a protein molecule by the cellular protein synthesis machinery. Translation occurs at a site called the ribosome, which allows the information within the mRNA to be converted into a polypeptide chain. The code is read, three bases at a time, by a series of transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules, which recognize the mRNA message and align the appropriate amino acid in place. Juxtaposed tRNAs, reading adjacent codes, bring together amino acids, which are then covalently joined to together. This process continues until the polypeptide chain is complete; the chain is then released and folds into a functional protein.