What is the primary role of the ribosome in protein synthesis?

The primary role of the ribosome in protein synthesis is to assemble amino acids in the correct sequence to form a protein. Ribosomes are essential molecular machines in the cell that facilitate the translation phase of protein synthesis. During this process, the ribosome reads the messenger RNA (mRNA) transcript, which is a copy of the genetic information from DNA, and decodes it to string together the corresponding amino acids into a polypeptide chain.

The ribosome consists of two subunits that work together to ensure that the correct amino acids are brought in according to the codon sequence of the mRNA. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring the appropriate amino acids to the ribosome, where the ribosome catalyzes the formation of peptide bonds between the amino acids, effectively building the protein. This critical function is why the ribosome is often referred to as the site of protein synthesis.

In contrast, the other options reflect different processes: the transcription of DNA into RNA pertains to the roles of RNA polymerase, protein modification after translation occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, and creating mRNA from a DNA template is not a function of the ribosome but rather of transcription enzymes. Understanding the ribosome's role in assembling