Question

The letter "s" in the structural unit of ribosome denotes

• A. Concentration unit.
• B. Svedberg unit.
• C. Polymerisation unit.
• D. Stability unit.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Svedberg unit.

Letter S in structural unit of ribosome refers to Svedberg unit which is a non-metric unit for sedimentation rate. The sedimentation rate for a particle depends on its density, shape and mass which collectively decides how fast the particle 'settles'. The sedimentation is often used to reflect the rate at which a molecule travels to the bottom of a test tube under the centrifugal force of 1 million gravities. The higher value of S means molecules will settle faster than lower S value molecules.