Concept 21 RNA is an intermediary between DNA and protein. DNA is found mostly in the cell nucleus, but another type of nucleic acid, RNA, is common in the cytoplasm. Watson and Crick proposed that RNA must copy the DNA message in the nucleus and carry it out to the cytoplasm, where proteins are synthesized. Crick also predicted the existence of an adaptor molecule that reads the genetic code and selects the appropriate amino acids to add to a growing polypeptide chain.