noun
- Plural of monosome; ribosomes that are not attached to the endoplasmic reticulum and float freely in the cytoplasm.
Usage: biology; cell biology; technical term
Examples
- Monosomes in the cytoplasm synthesize proteins for use within the cell.
- The cell contains both monosomes and polysomes depending on protein synthesis needs.
- Under the electron microscope, monosomes appear as single ribosomal units.
- Monosomes are responsible for producing proteins that remain in the cytoplasm rather than being exported.
- During certain phases of the cell cycle, the number of active monosomes increases.