Meaning & use

ribosome

noun·Advanced

A cell structure made of RNA and protein that builds proteins by translating genetic instructions.

See it in a sentence

Ribosomes read messenger RNA and assemble amino acids into a growing protein chain.

Cells that produce large amounts of protein tend to contain many ribosomes.

A note on using this word

Ribosomes are found in all living cells, floating free in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.

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