Meaning & use
ribosome
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A tiny structure inside every living cell that reads a genetic message and links amino acids together in order to make a protein.
Grammar: Counted like any noun: one ribosome, thousands of ribosomes; often used with 'in' a cell.
Patterns
- ribosomes in something
- a ribosome on something
Each ribosome moves along the messenger RNA and builds a protein piece by piece.
Cells that make a lot of protein contain millions of ribosomes.
In the diagram, the ribosomes appear as small dots on the membrane.
Word forms
| plural | ribosomes |
|---|
Common combinations
- ribosome subunit
- Each ribosome is made of a large and a small subunit.
- free ribosome
- A free ribosome floats in the cytoplasm and makes proteins used inside the cell.
- bacterial ribosome
- The antibiotic blocks the bacterial ribosome without harming human cells.
- ribosome binds to
- The ribosome binds to the messenger RNA to start making the protein.
- ribosomes and RNA
- Ribosomes and RNA work together to produce proteins.
Word family
- ribosomal adjective
- relating to ribosomes, as in ribosomal RNA
- ribosomal RNA noun
- the RNA that forms part of a ribosome
- polyribosome noun
- a group of ribosomes reading one messenger RNA
Commonly confused: ribosome or ribosome vs lysosome? ribosome or ribosome vs chromosome?
ribosome vs ribosome vs lysosome
A ribosome builds proteins, while a lysosome breaks down waste inside the cell.
ribosome vs ribosome vs chromosome
A chromosome carries the DNA, whereas a ribosome reads copies of its instructions to build proteins.
Practice
Which job is done by a ribosome?
Choose one answer.
Ribosomes assemble proteins by reading RNA instructions. DNA storage belongs to the nucleus, energy to mitochondria and digestion to lysosomes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ribosome”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.