Ribosome - Ribosomes

Ribosome

Ribosome
Academic Kids Encyclopedia

Overview
Ribosomes consist of two subunits (Figure 1) that fit together (Figure 2) and work as one to translate the mRNA into a polypeptide chain during protein synthesis (Figure 3). Each subunit consists of one or two very large RNA molecules (known as ribosomal RNA or rRNA) and multiple smaller protein molecules. Experiments have shown that the rRNA are the crucial components in protein synthesis, and that one aspect of the process, peptide transfer, can occur in the presence of rRNA alone, albeit at a slower rate. This suggests that the protein components of ribosomes act as a scaffold that may enhance the ability of rRNA to synthesise protein.

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