Ribosomes

Ribosomes are a type of cellular organelle involved in the process of protein synthesis. They are found in all living cells and are the site where genetic information is translated into proteins. Ribosomes are composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins.

Structure

Ribosomes are composed of two subunits, a larger one and a smaller one. The larger subunit is responsible for the peptidyl transferase activity, which forms the peptide bonds in the growing protein chain. The smaller subunit is responsible for reading the mRNA (messenger RNA).

Function

The primary function of ribosomes is to synthesize proteins. This process, known as translation, involves decoding the genetic information in mRNA to produce a specific protein sequence.

Types of Ribosomes

There are two types of ribosomes, free ribosomes and bound ribosomes. Free ribosomes are found in the cytoplasm, while bound ribosomes are attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Ribosomes in Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Ribosomes in prokaryotic cells are smaller than those in eukaryotic cells. Despite this difference in size, the function of ribosomes in both types of cells is essentially the same.

See Also

• Protein synthesis
• Cell
• RNA
• Prokaryote
• Eukaryote

Ribosomes Resources
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