Where does translation take place in the cell?

Where does translation take place in the cell?

• A. In the nucleus
• B. On ribosomes in the cytosol
• C. Cytoplasm
• D. In mitochondria

Answer: (C)

Translation is the process by which ribosomes read mRNA codons and assemble amino acids into a protein. In eukaryotic cells, mRNA is made in the nucleus but then exported to the cytoplasm, where ribosomes reside either freely in the cytosol or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. These cytoplasmic ribosomes are the machinery that reads the mRNA and builds the polypeptide. The nucleus handles transcription, not translation. While mitochondria have their own ribosomes and can conduct some protein synthesis inside the organelle, the bulk of translation for most mRNAs occurs in the cytoplasm. That makes cytoplasm the correct location.

Translation is the process by which ribosomes read mRNA codons and assemble amino acids into a protein. In eukaryotic cells, mRNA is made in the nucleus but then exported to the cytoplasm, where ribosomes reside either freely in the cytosol or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum. These cytoplasmic ribosomes are the machinery that reads the mRNA and builds the polypeptide. The nucleus handles transcription, not translation. While mitochondria have their own ribosomes and can conduct some protein synthesis inside the organelle, the bulk of translation for most mRNAs occurs in the cytoplasm. That makes cytoplasm the correct location.