-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
ribosome
noun
ri·bo·some
ˈrī-bə-ˌsōm
: any of the RNA-rich cytoplasmic granules that are sites of protein synthesis see cell illustration
Examples of ribosome in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2009 your work on ribosomes, the site of protein synthesis, won you the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
—Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024
Since proteins are essential to virtually all cellular activity, ribosomes are vital to bacteria.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
The most likely cargo is messenger RNA, a molecule that is a transcript of the gene for a particular protein and that somehow travels out of the nucleus to the ribosomes, which assemble the protein.
—Betsy Hanson, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Archaea, eukaryotes, and eubacteria all have ribosomes, so ribosomal RNA is good for comparing different organisms.
—Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
Sutherland and his group had previously shown that analogs of right-handed transfer RNA molecules — which bind amino acids and bring them to the ribosome to make proteins — link to left-handed amino acids 10 times faster than to right-handed ones.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
Remarkably, all the protein in all organisms is made by the catalytic activity of the RNA component of the ribosome, the cellular machine that reads genetic information and makes protein molecules.
—Jack Szostak, Scientific American, 1 June 2018
At the start of the animation, a ribosome (tan) is in the process of producing a connexin protein (aqua), based on information encoded in a messenger RNA molecule (purple).
—Karen Hopkin, Scientific American, 1 May 2015
So, for an lncRNA to escape the nucleus and give its instructions to a ribosome, the parental DNA must acquire those key U1 mutations or somehow make that transcribed section get cut out of the RNA strands altogether.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 5 Jan. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ribosome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1958, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near ribosome
Cite this Entry
“Ribosome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ribosome. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
ribosome
noun
ri·bo·some
ˈrī-bə-ˌsōm
: one of numerous small RNA-containing particles in a cell that are sites of protein synthesis
Medical Definition
ribosome
noun
ri·bo·some
ˈrī-bə-ˌsōm
: any of the RNA- and protein-rich cytoplasmic granules that are sites of protein synthesis
More from Merriam-Webster on ribosome
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ribosome
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share