BRAINCAKErRNA
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is the most abundant type of RNA in a cell. It combines with proteins to make ribosomes, the organelles where translation happens.
rRNA is transcribed from DNA in the nucleolus, the dense region inside the nucleus. Here it is combined with proteins (made in the cytoplasm) to form the ribosome subunits, which then leave through nuclear pores.
Each ribosome is made of two subunits, one large and one small, each containing rRNA and proteins. The rRNA strands fold into complex shapes, held by hydrogen bonds between complementary bases, which give the ribosome its structure.
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Key terms in this lesson
- translation
- The synthesis of a polypeptide at a ribosome, in which the sequence of codons on mRNA sets the order in which amino acids are joined.
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