Ribonucleic acid (RNA)
Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a type of RNA that reflects the exact nucleoside sequence of the genetically active DNA. mRNA carries the “message” of the DNA to the cytoplasm of cells where protein is made in amino acid sequences specified by the mRNA.
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a short-chain type of RNA present in cells. There are 20 varieties of tRNA. Each variety combines with a specific amino acid and carries it along (transfers it), leading to the formation of protein with a specific amino acid arrangement dictated by DNA.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a component of ribosomes. Ribosomal RNA functions as a nonspecific site for making polypeptides.
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- Ribonucleoprotein (RNP)
A combination of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein. In autoimmune diseases, antibodies can form against ribonucleoprotein. They are called anti-RNP antibodies.
- Ribosomal RNA
A molecular component of a ribosome, the cell’s essential protein factory. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) fabricates polypeptides (assemblies of amino acids that make up proteins). A tiny particulate structure located in the cytoplasm of the cell (outside the nucleus), the ribosome is composed of two subunits, one larger than the other. Both subunits were believed to […]
- Ribosome
A tiny structure in the cytoplasm of a cell (outside the nucleus) that functions as the protein factory for the cell.
- Ribozyme
An RNA molecule that can catalyze its own chemical reactions.
- Rice genome
The first commercially important plant to have its genome sequenced. This feat, completed early in 2001, is particularly important because rice is a staple food for a large portion of the population of the world. With the rice sequence, genes can be located to improve yields and make rice more nutritious. Rice was the second […]