Upstream/downstream: These descriptors have different meanings depending on context:

• In genetics, these are terms used to describe directions on DNAplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDNA: deoxyribonucleic acid. The genetic material for nearly all life on Earth., usually relative to the transcriptionplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigRNA transcription: the process of RNA polymerase using the DNA sequence of a gene as a template to form an mRNA (in prokaryotes) or pre-mRNA (in eukaryotes). In most cases, “transcription” implies RNA transcription. start site of a geneplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGene: read Chapters 02, 03, 04, 05, and 06 for a definition of gene :-). DNAplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDNA: deoxyribonucleic acid. The genetic material for nearly all life on Earth. sequencesplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigSequence: the precise order of monomers in a polymer. In DNA, it refers to the order of G, A, T, and C nucleotides. In RNA, it refers to the order of G, A, U, and C nucleotides. In proteins, it refers to the order of amino acids. that are located in the same direction as the direction of transcriptionplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigRNA transcription: the process of RNA polymerase using the DNA sequence of a gene as a template to form an mRNA (in prokaryotes) or pre-mRNA (in eukaryotes). In most cases, “transcription” implies RNA transcription. are described as downstream. DNAplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDNA: deoxyribonucleic acid. The genetic material for nearly all life on Earth. sequenceplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigSequence: the precise order of monomers in a polymer. In DNA, it refers to the order of G, A, T, and C nucleotides. In RNA, it refers to the order of G, A, U, and C nucleotides. In proteins, it refers to the order of amino acids. that are located in the opposite direction of transcriptionplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigRNA transcription: the process of RNA polymerase using the DNA sequence of a gene as a template to form an mRNA (in prokaryotes) or pre-mRNA (in eukaryotes). In most cases, “transcription” implies RNA transcription. are described as upstream.
• In any kind of a pathwayplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigPathway: a series of reactions or events that occur in sequence with some common goal or purpose., upstream refers to events that occur earlier in the pathwayplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigPathway: a series of reactions or events that occur in sequence with some common goal or purpose., and downstream refers to events that occur later in the pathwayplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigPathway: a series of reactions or events that occur in sequence with some common goal or purpose..