Have you heard of the cellular mind? This rather bold scientific hypothesis claims that the organization of the elementary unit of life - the cell - is subject to reasonable logical programs. They are similar to the control of the human body by a complex organ - the brain. All organelles of a cell not only have a filigree, logically explainable structure, but are also able to perform unique tasks. They provide all the vital processes of the cellular biosystem: its nutrition, growth, division, etc. In our article, we will consider such organelles of the cell as ribosomes. Their functions are in the synthesis of the main organic compounds of the cell - proteins.
Mal yes
This popular saying is the best suited to the cellular organoid - the ribosome. Opened in 1953, it is considered the smallest cell structure, and in addition lacking membranes. The fact that ribosomes are so important can be proved by the following simple fact. Without exception, all cells: animals, plants, fungi, and even non-nuclear organisms - contain a huge number of ribosomes. The protein synthesis carried out by them provides the cell with proteins that perform building, protective, catalytic, signaling and many other functions in it.
The dimensions of one organelle do not exceed 20 nm, the diameter is about 15 nm, and its shape resembles a spherical toy - matryoshka. Each subunit is formed inside the cell nucleus containing the nucleolus. This is the site of the synthesis of ribosome particles. Let us dwell on the structure of the protein synthesizing apparatus of the cell in more detail.
What's inside
The composition of the ribosomes consists of two subunits, called the large and small. Each of them contains specific proteins associated with ribonucleic acid molecules . The subunits of the organoid, like two puzzles, merge at the time of protein synthesis, and upon its completion they are separated, remaining separately in the cytoplasm of the cell.
As mentioned earlier, the composition of ribosomes includes RNA. The large organelle subunit has three nucleic acid molecules connected to 35 peptide molecules, one small particle RNA molecule is associated with 20 protein components. Earlier we mentioned the fact that the number of ribosomes is large. It is directly proportional to the intensity of the biosynthesis of proteins that occur in the cell. So, in humans and most vertebrates, the greatest accumulation of organoids is observed in red bone marrow cells and hepatocytes - structural units of the liver.
Ribosome proteins
Organelle proteins are heterogeneous in their amino acid composition, therefore, each protein molecule strictly binds only to a specific site of ribosomal ribonucleic acid. The RNA molecule formed in the nucleolus binds to proteids in the tertiary configuration and numerous covalent bonds. Here, in the nucleolus of the cell nucleus, the formation of subunits of the organoid takes place. Thus, the composition of ribosomes includes two types of polymers, namely proteins and ribonucleic acid. In preparation for biosynthesis, ribosomes combine with one molecule of information ribonucleic acid, which leads to the formation of a complex structure - the polysome.
The number of organelles sitting on the RNA chain will correspond to the number of protein molecules of the same amino acid composition.
Broadcast
Synthetic processes leading to the formation of the final product - protein - are included in the assimilation reaction group and are called translation. What role do ribosomes play in it? The beginning of biosynthesis is characterized by the fact that initiation is carried out - the connection of information ribonucleic acid with a small subunit of the organoid. In the cell cytoplasm, a ribosome is attached to one of the terminal sites, which is a signal to the biosynthesis process. The next stage, elongation, consists in the interaction of the ribosome with the first two RNA particles, called transport. They, like a taxi cab, deliver amino acids to an organelle, which then travels along the polynucleotide chain.
At the same time, there is a binding of amino acids with each other using peptide bonds, leading to the growth of a protein molecule. The final stage - termination, consists in the fact that along the movement of the organelle along the i-RNA it encounters a stop codon, for example, UAA, CAA or UAG. In the region of the above triplets, a break in covalent bonds between the protein and the last t-RNA is observed. This leads to the release of the peptide from the polysome. Thus, the ribosome is the leading component of the cell, providing the synthesis of its proteins.
In our article, we found out which organic polymers are part of ribosomes, and also determined their role in the life of the cell.