Detailed Explanation
Large molecular machine (2.5–4.2 MDa) that reads messenger RNA (mRNA) and catalyzes the assembly of amino acids into peptide chains — the biological site of peptide synthesis (translation). Ribosomes consist of a large and small subunit, each made of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins. The catalytic activity resides in the rRNA, making the ribosome a ribozyme.
During translation, transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules deliver amino acids to the ribosome's active site, where peptide bonds are formed at a rate of ~15–20 amino acids per second in bacteria. The ribosome translates mRNA codons in the N→C direction. Understanding ribosomal structure earned Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas Steitz, and Ada Yonath the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2009).
Key Facts
- Large molecular machine (2.5–4.2 MDa) that reads messenger RNA (mRNA) and catalyzes the assembly of amino acids into peptide chains — the biological site of peptide synthesis (translation).
- Ribosomes consist of a large and small subunit, each made of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins.
- The catalytic activity resides in the rRNA, making the ribosome a ribozyme.
- During translation, transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules deliver amino acids to the ribosome's active site, where peptide bonds are formed at a rate of ~15–20 amino acids per second in bacteria.
- The ribosome translates mRNA codons in the N→C direction.
- Understanding ribosomal structure earned Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Thomas Steitz, and Ada Yonath the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2009).
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