noun
- a cluster of ribosomes attached to a single messenger RNA molecule, functioning together to synthesize a protein
Usage: biology; also called polysome
Examples
- Polyribosomes are visible under an electron microscope as beads on a string.
- The cell uses polyribosomes to produce multiple copies of the same protein simultaneously.
- During translation, several ribosomes move along the mRNA to form a polyribosome.
- Polyribosomes can be found free-floating in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.
- The efficiency of protein synthesis increases when ribosomes work together in a polyribosome.