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University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

The Ribosome
I. Definition: Ribosomes or "Palade grains" are:
Compact particles.

Made up of Ribonucleoproteins.

Free in the cytoplasm or attached or not to the outer face of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Responsible for protein synthesis by assembling amino acids in a predetermined order.

II. Structure :
1. Highlight:

- Ribosomes are around 30nm in diameter, too small to be discernible under light microscopy.
Detection is achieved using basic dyes that bind to basophilic structures, i.e. acids.
-Transmission electron microscopy uses positive and negative staining techniques.
2. Characters :
a. Number: varies according to cell type, increasing in protein-producing cells
e.g. 109 in the hepatocyte.

Present in all cells except spermatozoa and red blood cells.

b. Shape: slightly elliptical in longitudinal section.

⮚ Negative staining techniques reveal that a transverse groove divides the

ribosome into two subunits of unequal size.

⮚ Differential ultracentrifugation isolates these two subunits: the large

ribosomal subunit and the small ribosomal subunit.

⮚ Each of the sub-units is characterized by its sedimentation coefficient

expressed in Svedberg units, thus the sedimentation coefficient is :

✓ 80S for the whole ribosome of eukaryotes, and 70S for that of
prokaryotes.

✓ 60S for the large eukaryotic subunit, and 50S for the prokaryotic
subunit.

Academic year: 2019-2020 1

 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

✓ 40S for the small eukaryotic subunit, and 30S for the prokaryotic
subunit.

c. Dimensions:

⮚ In prokaryotes, the ribosome is 29 nm long and 21 nm wide.

⮚ In eukaryotes, the length is 32nm by 22nm.

d. Location: in the eukaryotic cell, ribosomes can be either free-living or

relat
ed :

1. free in the cytoplasm in two forms:

• s/inactive form.

• or grouped into active polyribosomes.

1. Bound: by their large subunit to the membrane of the granular endoplasmic reticulum or
to the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope.

-Ribosomes are also present in prokaryotic cells and mitochondria:

mitoribosomes.

e. Ribosome binding site: The ribosome has four binding sites for RNA:

-A binding site for mRNA.

- An aminoacyl-tRNA binding site, or A site, which binds the incoming tRNA molecule
carrying an amino acid.

-A peptidyl-tRNA site, or P site, which binds the tRNA molecule linked to the growing end
of the polypeptide chain.

-An amino-acyl-tRNA exit site or Site E (E: exit).

III. Chemical composition:

Isolated by differential ultracentrifugation, the ribosome is made up of 70% water, 50% rRNA
and 50% protein.

a. Ribosomal nucleic acids or rRNA :

✓ The large ribosomal subunit of eukaryotic cells contains three types of

rRNA: a 28S rRNA, a 5.8S rRNA and a 5S rRNA.

✓ The small subunit contains a single 18S rRNA.

Academic year: 2019-2020 2
 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

b. Ribosomal proteins :

✓ The small subunit contains 33 S (Short) proteins, which recognize mRNA.

✓ The large subunit contains 49 L (Long) proteins.

✓ Ribosomal proteins L and S perform numerous functions that enable

ribosomes to translate the information carried by mRNA.

IV. Ribosome function: Its main function is protein synthesis.

Proteosynthesis: is the set of biochemical reactions that use amino acids as materials, leading
to the formation of proteins.

⮚ DNA carries the information needed to place an amino acid in the correct position in
a polypeptide sequence. The information contained in DNA is transcribed into mRNA
in the nucleus.

⮚ An mRNA molecule acts as a messenger, transferring this information to the ribosome

in the cytoplasm, where protein synthesis takes place.

⮚ The ribosome's essential role is to read the message coming from the DNA (mRNA)
and translate it into protein.

⮚ Translation is carried out by machinery capable of reading the mRNA molecule

and associating the amino acids with each other.

⮚ This machinery requires the presence of tRNA molecules, which transport

amino acids to the ribosome under amino-acyl-tRNA.

Proteosynthesis takes place in 3 stages:

1. Initiation.

2. Elongation.

3. Termination.

1. Initiation :

Attachment of the small S/unit to mRNA: at the mRNA initiator codon AUG, which
codes for the first amino acid: methionine, and initiation factors (for prokaryotes: IF 1,
2,3 (initiation factor) and for eukaryotes : ElF (eukaryotic initiation factor).

Academic year: 2019-2020 3

 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

Then the first aminoacyl-tRNA binds to the P site. Then the

large s/unit joins the complex.

2. Elongation:

⮚ Begins with the arrival at the A site of the 2nd amino-acyl-tRNA. The nature of
the aminoacyl tRNA is determined by the anticodon, which matches the
corresponding codon on the mRNA. Complementarity is verified by an
elongation factor and in the presence of energy in the form of GTP.

⮚ Formation of the first peptide bond between the first two amino acids, resulting in
the formation of peptidyl tRNA.

⮚ Passage of peptidyl tRNA from Site A to Site P.

⮚ Output of the first aminoacyl tRNA via the E site.

3. Termination:

-The ribosome arrives at a STOP or NONSENSE codon (UAA, UAG, UGA) to which
no amino acid, hence no tRNA, corresponds.

-The protein chain then detaches from the ribosome.

V. Polysomes or polyribosomes: made up of an mRNA molecule to which several

ribosomes are attached, polysomes can be free or linked:

1. Free: in the cytosol, producing proteins for the cell and its organelles.

2. REG-bound: produce proteins for extracellular use.

Academic year: 2019-2020 4

 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

The small sub-unit

The Ribosome

Initiation

Academic year: 2019-2020 5

 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

Elongation
factors

tRNA

tRNA

Elongation

Academic year: 2019-2020 6

 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

Release
factors: RF

Termination

Ribosomes and antibiotics:

Antibiotics act on the bacterial ribosome, blocking bacterial proteosynthesis. Examples:

✓ Tetracyclines inhibit aminoacyl-tRNA binding at the A site.

✓ Streptomycin causes synthesis of abnormal proteins

Pathologies :

Blackfan-diamond anemia:
✓ It is the first ribosomal disease to be recognized,

✓ Due to a mutation in the S19 protein.

✓ Clinical symptoms include erythroblastopenia, growth retardation and various

malformations.

Academic year: 2019-2020 7

 University of ORAN 1, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine

Histology-Embryology Department Pr Ag Belarbi-Amar N

Cytology course for first-year medical students

References :

1. Cell Biology. Abrégés. Marc Maillet.9th edition, Masson2002.

2. Cell Biology. Y Bassaglia. Maloine 2001.

3. Cell biology and physiology. A.Berkaloff, Bourguet, Favard, Lacroix. Herman. 1978.

4. Cours de Biologie Cellulaire: Pierre Cau, Raymond Seite. Edition ellipses.1999.

5. Cytology & Cell Physiology. M. Abdelali, H. Benzine-Challam, A.Madoui-

Dekar. Office des Publications Universitaires 2008.

6. The cell and its physiology: M Bendjelloul. Office des Publications Universitaires 2011.

7. Mini manual de Biologie Cellulaire: cours QCM, QROC. J M Petit, S Arico, R Julien.
Dumond 2008.

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