Ribosomes are molecular machines within cells that synthesize proteins by translating messenger RNA (mRNA) into polypeptide chains. They are composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins, and they exist in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
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Ribosomes can be found either floating freely in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum, forming rough ER.
Prokaryotic ribosomes (70S) are smaller than eukaryotic ribosomes (80S), with 'S' standing for Svedberg unit, a measure of sedimentation rate during centrifugation.
Ribosomes play a critical role in the central dogma of molecular biology, which describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
Antibiotics like tetracyclines and aminoglycosides target bacterial ribosomes, inhibiting protein synthesis and thus serving as effective antibacterial drugs.
Mutations affecting ribosomal function can lead to diseases known as ribosomopathies.
Review Questions
What is the primary function of ribosomes within a cell?
How do prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes differ in terms of size?
Which class of antibiotics targets bacterial ribosomes, and how does this affect bacterial cells?