Which type of termination occurs without the need for Rho factor?

Intrinsic termination is a process in transcription where RNA synthesis ends without the involvement of any additional factors, such as the Rho protein. This mechanism relies on the formation of a specific RNA structure. As the RNA polymerase transcribes the DNA, it encounters a sequence that is rich in GC content, leading to the formation of a stable hairpin loop in the newly synthesized RNA. This structural feature disrupts the interaction between the RNA polymerase and the DNA template, effectively causing the enzyme to detach and terminate transcription.

In contrast, Rho-mediated termination involves the Rho factor, which is a protein that recognizes specific sequences in the RNA and facilitates the release of the transcript from the RNA polymerase. The other options presented do not accurately describe termination processes that occur independently of Rho factor. For instance, normal termination may refer to the expected end of transcription but does not explicitly indicate the absence of Rho, while conditional termination implies that various factors can influence the process, suggesting that external elements may be involved. Hence, intrinsic termination stands out as the mechanism that directly fulfills the criterion of Rho independence.