What is the primary function of rRNA?
2 Answers
rRNA (ribosomal RNA) run along the mRNA to align the amino acids up in the correct orientation for them to synthesize proteins.
Explanation:
rRNA stands for Ribosomal RNA, which are sets of proteins in the form of a ribosome that run along the mRNA to align the amino acids up in the correct orientation for them to synthesize proteins.
The primary function of rRNA is in protein synthesis - in binding to mRNA and tRNA, to ensure that the codon sequence of the mRNA is accurately translated into a protein.
Explanation:
It is the RNA component of the ribosome and is essential for protein synthesis in all living organisms. The structure of the ribosome is determined by the 3-D shape of its RNA core.
The rRNA has a distinctive 3-D shape involving internal loops and helices that create specific sites within the ribosome -
1) P-site: for binding a growing polypeptide which allows the start codon to be positioned within the ribosome.
2) A-site: for anchoring an incoming tRNA charged with an amino acid
3) E-site: after peptide bond formation the tRNA bind briefly to the E-site before leaving the ribosome.
Translation of the mRNA sequence requires the involvement of rRNA at every step - initiation, elongation and termination. rRNA in the larger subunit of he ribosome catalyses the reaction that forms a peptide bond between the amino acid in the A-site and the growing polypeptide chain in the P-site. The polypeptide synthesis is terminated when the ribosome reaches a stop codon and rRNA catalyses the addition of a water molecule to the polypeptide in the P-site.
