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Biology vocabulary · Cells and Levels of Organization

Ribosome

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ˈraɪbəsoʊm/nounCommon term

In biology, ribosome means: A small structure made of RNA and protein that builds proteins by reading the instructions in messenger RNA. Ribosomes are found in all cells.

In Turkish: ribozom

How it is used

Ribosomes float freely in the cytoplasm or are attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Each has a large and a small subunit. Prokaryotic ribosomes (70S) are smaller than eukaryotic ones (80S), a difference some antibiotics exploit.

Example sentences

  1. During translation, the ribosome moves along the mRNA one codon at a time.

  2. Rough ER looks rough because it is covered with ribosomes.

Common collocations

  • free ribosomes
  • ribosomal RNA
  • ribosome subunit
  • bound ribosomes
  • translationThe step of gene expression in which a ribosome reads the codons in messenger RNA and joins the matching amino acids together to build a protein.
  • proteinA large molecule made of one or more chains of amino acids folded into a specific shape. Proteins build cell structures, speed up reactions and carry signals.
  • RNAShort for ribonucleic acid, a usually single-stranded molecule that carries genetic information from DNA and helps build proteins. It contains uracil instead of thymine.
  • organelleA small structure inside a cell that has a specific job, such as the nucleus, mitochondria or chloroplasts. Most organelles are surrounded by their own membrane.
  • cytoplasmEverything inside the cell membrane apart from the nucleus: a jelly-like fluid called the cytosol together with the organelles suspended in it.

More terms: Cells and Levels of Organization

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