Alternative splicing refers to the process by which different mRNA molecules are produced from a single gene. This process allows for the production of multiple protein isoforms that differ in their structure and function. Synonyms for alternative splicing include alternative mRNA splicing and exon skipping. Another related term is RNA splicing, which refers to the process by which introns are removed from pre-mRNA molecules and exons are joined together to form mature mRNA molecules. Other related terms include alternative gene splicing and alternative transcript splicing, which both refer to the same process of producing different mRNA molecules from a single gene through alternative splicing. These synonyms are commonly used in both scientific literature and everyday conversation to describe this important biological process.