Ribosomal RNA

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a type of RNA that, together with proteins, makes up the ribosomes, the protein factories of the cell. rRNA is transcribed from DNA in the nucleolus, a specialized subregion within the nucleus of the cell.

Structure

Ribosomal RNA is the structural component of the ribosome. It provides a mechanism for decoding mRNA into amino acids and interacts with the tRNA during translation by providing peptidyl transferase activity. The structure of the ribosome is complex and it is made up of several dozen proteins and several rRNA molecules.

Function

The primary function of rRNA is to provide a mechanism for translation, the process of synthesizing proteins from amino acids. During translation, the ribosome reads the sequence of the mRNA and, using the genetic code, translates the sequence of RNA bases into the sequence of amino acids that makes up the protein.

Types

There are several types of rRNA, each of which has a different function in the ribosome. These include:

• 5S rRNA
• 16S rRNA
• 23S rRNA
• 28S rRNA
• 5.8S rRNA

See also

• Ribosome
• RNA
• Protein synthesis
• Translation (biology)

Ribosomal_RNA

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  T thermophilus S cerevisiae H sapiens
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  010 small subunit-1FKA
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  Ribosome structure including subunits and binding sites
• Ribosomal rRNA subunits
  Ribosomal rRNA subunits
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  RF00177
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  Process diagram final edited