Question

Describe the structure of ribosome?

Answer 1

Ribosomes were discovered by Robinson and Brown in plant cells and by Palade in animal cells. Ribosomes are naked ribonucleoprotein protoplasmic particles (RNP) with a length of 200-340 Angstrom and diameter of 170-240 Angstrom which function as the sites for the protein or polypeptide synthesis. Ribosomes are popularly known as protein factories. They are subspherical in outline. A covering membrane is absent. Each ribosome consists of two unequal subunits, larger dome-shaped, and smaller oblate-ellipsoid. The large subunit has a protuberance, a ridge, and a stalk. The smaller subunit possesses a platform, cleft, head, and base. It is about half the size of the larger subunit.