Ribosome

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹaɪbəˌsəʊm/

Definitions

1. A molecular machine found in cells that creates proteins by reading messenger RNA sequences and linking amino acids based on those instructions
2. A cellular entity responsible for protein synthesis, interpreting genetic codes from RNA to string together amino acids into functional proteins
3. A complex molecular structure within cells that synthesizes proteins by decoding messenger RNA and assembling amino acids according to genetic instructions

Etymology: Ribosome is a compound built from two pieces: "ribo-", short for ribonucleic acid (the RNA the particle is rich in), and "-some", from Greek "soma," meaning "body." Taken literally, it is an "RNA body," a name that describes what the particle is made of rather than what it does. The "-some" ending is the surprising part. It is the same Greek root that gives English "chromosome," which was coined for the threadlike bodies that take up dye in a cell's nucleus. Biologists used the same pattern to name the particle, so the two words share a suffix that means "body" but refer to very different structures. The ribosome's role as a protein factory came to light only after its composition was understood, and the name simply records that chemical makeup. The word therefore says nothing about function; it is a label drawn from structure alone.

Synonyms: cell organelle