Whose main job is to help the plant cell make proteins

Question

Cells need to make protein

Answer 1

Hi Cameron,

The short answer is that "ribosomes" are used to directly make proteins in all living cells, including plant cells. See below for a more detailed explanation:

Plant cells are an example of eukaryotic cells, which are known for having membrane-bound organelles. One of these membrane-bound organelles is called a nucleus, and inside of that nucleus is a sub-compartment called the nucleolus which contains genetic material as DNA.

DNA in the nucleus is composed of nucleotides, which consist of 3 things: (1) a deoxyribose sugar (2) a nitrogenous base (3) phosphate groups. Nitrogenous bases found in DNA include adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). In a normal double helix of DNA, two strands are held together by associations between their respective nitrogenous bases, such that A always pairs with T, and C always pairs with G. This means that the two strands of DNA are complementary to each other. They are not identical, but essentially opposites of each other.

The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology is a simple rule which states that DNA is used to make messenger RNA (mRNA), and that mRNA is used to make proteins (DNA --> mRNA --> protein). First, one strand of the DNA, known as the template strand, must undergo a process called "transcription" in the nucleus to create a strand of mRNA. This mRNA strand is essentially complementary to the DNA template strand, except wherever there would be a T, RNA contains a unique nitrogenous base called uracil (U) instead. The sugar in RNA is also a bit different chemically and is called ribose. Once the mRNA is produced, it then exits the nucleus and enters the cytoplasm.

In the cytoplasm, this mRNA strand then undergoes the process of "translation". The mRNA must associate with the ribosome, which is the primary component in producing the resulting protein. A complementary tRNA strand then recognizes the code on the mRNA by reading the nitrogenous bases in sets of 3 (called a codon), and attaches its corresponding amino acid. The ribosome links these amino acids together through peptide bonds. After each set of 3 bases, another amino acid is added until the entire mRNA code is read. The ribosome continues to form peptide bonds between amino acids until the resulting product is released as a protein. Each protein has its own unique function in the cell, and must be properly folded into a specific shape in order to function. Like a very specific jigsaw piece, the protein cannot work if it remains unfolded. Once the protein is folded through the use of chaperones, it can then carry out its intended function for the cell.

I hope that gives you a solid answer and explanation to help you understand the process!