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

---

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of ribosomal RNA

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ribosomal RNA

With so many redundant copies, when the insertion disrupts one or a few ribosomal RNA genes, the loss of the genes won't be missed.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 20, 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

In the late 20th century, scientists compared sequences of small-subunit ribosomal RNA, which resulted in a more fundamental way to group organisms on Earth.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

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

From Nature ● Oct. 8, 2019

Each film, each fingerprint, represented ribosomal RNA from a different creature.

From New York Times ● Aug. 13, 2018