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"Ribosomes: The Protein Builders of the Cell"

Last updated about 1 year ago
6 questions
Understand the function of ribosomes in protein synthesis, including how they interpret the instructions from DNA to determine the type of protein to be made.
Every cell in your body has structures called 'ribosomes'. You can think of ribosomes as the chefs of the cell. Just like a chef follows a recipe to make a dish, ribosomes use instructions from the cell's DNA to make proteins. See, DNA is sort of like a cookbook that's stored in the nucleus of the cell. It has all the 'recipes', or instructions, for making different kinds of proteins. But the DNA stays in the nucleus, where it's safe. So, how do the ribosomes get the instructions? Well, another molecule called 'messenger RNA' copies the instructions from the DNA. You can think of it as a takeout recipe. This messenger RNA then travels out of the nucleus and to the ribosomes. At the ribosome, another molecule called 'transfer RNA' brings in 'amino acids'. These are like the 'ingredients' for our protein 'dish'. The ribosome reads the messenger RNA's instructions to determine the correct order for these ingredients. It then connects the amino acids together in that order. This forms a protein! In conclusion, ribosomes are crucial for protein synthesis. They interpret the DNA's instructions, decide what type of proteins to produce, and oversee the proteins' assembly. Without ribosomes, our cells wouldn't be able to make the proteins we need to grow, heal, and perform all sorts of functions.
1

What role do the ribosomes play in a cell?

1

DNA leaves the nucleus to carry instructions to the ribosomes.

1

Which molecule brings the 'ingredients', or amino acids, to the ribosomes?

Recognize the process of how ribosomes gather and link the building blocks of protein together in the correct sequence as per the provided instructions from the DNA.
Think of your body as a giant construction site, buzzing with activity at every moment. Ribosomes are like the busy builders at this site who have a very important job to do, which is to make proteins. These proteins do a lot of work around your body, they help keep cells alive and functioning well!Here is how it works. Perhaps you remember about something called 'DNA'? Yes, you're correct, that's our body's instruction manual encoded in our cells. DNA comprises coded instructions for making different types of proteins. When the body needs a new protein, it retrieves the related instructions from the DNA.The process begins with the DNA in the nucleus of the cell unzipping to reveal the protein-building instructions. These instructions are then copied into a messenger molecule named messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA), in a process called transcription. The mRNA is like an email sent from the nucleus (the boss) to the ribosome (the worker), telling it what protein needs to be built. The mRNA then leaves the nucleus and travels to the ribosome.The mRNA then attaches to the ribosome and is read, like reading a recipe. According to the instructions, the ribosome collects and links together amino acids, building blocks of protein, delivered by another molecule called transfer RNA (tRNA). This process is called translation. Just like how you use bricks to build a tower following instructions from a blueprint, the ribosome builds a protein chain adding one amino acid at a time. So, ribosomes act like factories, gathering amino acids and linking them together in a specific order, like building blocks, following the instructions they receive from the mRNA, which has taken them from the DNA. Ta-da! That's how proteins are made.
1

What is the role of ribosomes in the body?

1

What process begins with DNA in the cell nucleus unzipping to reveal the protein-building instructions?

1

What is the function of messenger Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA)?