There are several synonyms for the term "coding strand," which refers to the strand of DNA that carries the genetic information necessary to create proteins. One common synonym is the "sense strand," which is so named because the genetic information is transcribed and translated from this strand in the same direction as the mRNA that is ultimately produced. Another synonym is the "positive strand," which refers to the fact that this strand can be read directly by enzymes involved in DNA replication and transcription. Conversely, the complementary strand, which is read in the opposite direction, is often called the "non-coding strand" or the "antisense strand".