ribosomal RNA

American  

noun

Biochemistry.

1. a type of RNA, distinguished by its length and abundance, functioning in protein synthesis as a component of ribosomes. rRNA

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ribosomal RNA British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: rRNA.  biochem a type of RNA thought to be transcribed from DNA in the nucleoli of cell nuclei, subsequently forming the component of ribosomes on which the translation of messenger RNA into protein chains is accomplished

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ribosomal RNA Scientific  

/ rī′bə-sō′məl /

1. The RNA that is a structural component of a ribosome. Comparison of gene sequences of the ribosomal RNA of different organisms has been used to determine evolutionary relationships among the organisms.

2. See more at RNA

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Etymology

Origin of ribosomal RNA

First recorded in 1960–65; ribosome + -al ¹

Example Sentences

These targets mostly involve guiding modifications for ribosomal RNA and small nuclear RNA involved in mRNA splicing.

From Science Daily • Nov. 22, 2024

But to make the three much longer ribosomal RNA fragments in mirror-image form they needed a molecular machine that could crank them out—a polymerase enzyme.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 26, 2022

The RNA-first model is based on the idea that ribosomal RNA both encodes and synthesizes proteins.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Messenger RNA, transfer RNA and ribosomal RNA were all quickly identified.

From Nature • Oct. 8, 2019

He would need a large laboratory, set up for reading at least portions of the ribosomal RNA.

From New York Times • Aug. 13, 2018