Florida Biology EOC Practice Test

Where does translation occur in the cell?

1. Cytoplasm

2. Nucleus

3. Ribosome

4. Endoplasmic reticulum

The correct answer is: Cytoplasm

Translation is a key part of the process by which proteins are synthesized from messenger RNA (mRNA). This process occurs primarily in the ribosomes, which can be found free-floating in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum. Thus, while the cytoplasm serves as the environment where translation occurs and includes ribosomes, the correct and more precise location for translation is specifically at the ribosome. The ribosome acts as the site where the genetic information carried by mRNA is decoded to build proteins, using transfer RNA (tRNA) to add specific amino acids in the correct order. In contrast, the nucleus is where transcription occurs, which is the first step in gene expression where DNA is converted into mRNA. The endoplasmic reticulum is involved in the processing and folding of proteins after they are synthesized, particularly the rough endoplasmic reticulum when it has ribosomes on its surface. Since ribosomes are indeed located in the cytoplasm and are the actual sites of translation, the most accurate answer would identify ribosomes as the precise site of translation within the cytoplasmic environment.