Which RNA is a structural and catalytic component of ribosomes?

Which RNA is a structural and catalytic component of ribosomes?

• A. mRNA
• B. rRNA
• C. tRNA
• D. DNA

Answer: (B)

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is the RNA that forms the ribosome itself and also carries out the chemical reaction that links amino acids together. The ribosome is a ribonucleoprotein complex, and its catalytic center for forming peptide bonds is made by rRNA, not by proteins. This makes rRNA both the structural scaffold of the ribosome and the catalytic component—the ribosome acts as a ribozyme. In contrast, messenger RNA (mRNA) provides the code to be read, transfer RNA (tRNA) brings amino acids to the growing chain, and DNA is the genetic material that is transcribed to RNA. So the RNA that is a structural and catalytic part of ribosomes is rRNA.

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is the RNA that forms the ribosome itself and also carries out the chemical reaction that links amino acids together. The ribosome is a ribonucleoprotein complex, and its catalytic center for forming peptide bonds is made by rRNA, not by proteins. This makes rRNA both the structural scaffold of the ribosome and the catalytic component—the ribosome acts as a ribozyme. In contrast, messenger RNA (mRNA) provides the code to be read, transfer RNA (tRNA) brings amino acids to the growing chain, and DNA is the genetic material that is transcribed to RNA. So the RNA that is a structural and catalytic part of ribosomes is rRNA.