Question

Which component of the ribosome catalyzes the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids?

Options

• Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

• Ribosomal proteins (rProteins)

• Transfer RNA (tRNA)

• Messenger RNA (mRNA)

Answer 1

The peptidyl transferase activity of the ribosome - which catalyzes the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids during protein synthesis - is catalyzed by ribosomal RNA (rRNA), not the protein component, demonstrating that the ribosome itself is a ribozyme and providing strong evidence for RNA's ancient catalytic roles.