Do Cheek Cells Have Ribosomes?

Yes, cheek cells, like all eukaryotic cells, have ribosomes.

While the provided reference doesn't explicitly state that cheek cells have ribosomes, it mentions the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), an organelle whose function is making proteins "in conjunction with attached ribosomes." This implies that cells in general, including cheek cells, possess ribosomes as a fundamental part of their protein synthesis machinery. Because cheek cells are eukaryotic cells and carry out protein synthesis, it follows that they do, indeed, have ribosomes.

In more detail:

• What are Ribosomes? Ribosomes are essential cellular organelles responsible for protein synthesis. They translate genetic code from messenger RNA (mRNA) into amino acid sequences, forming proteins.

• Where are Ribosomes Located? Ribosomes are found in two locations:

  • Free-floating in the cytoplasm.
  • Bound to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), forming the rough ER (RER).

• The Role of Ribosomes in Protein Synthesis:

  1. mRNA carries the genetic code from the nucleus to the ribosome.
  2. The ribosome binds to the mRNA and reads the code.
  3. Transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring specific amino acids to the ribosome based on the mRNA code.
  4. The ribosome links these amino acids together, forming a polypeptide chain (protein).
  5. The newly synthesized protein is then released and folded into its functional shape.

• Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum and Ribosomes: As the reference mentions, the rough endoplasmic reticulum utilizes ribosomes to produce proteins. This provides evidence of the necessity of ribosomes in a cell to produce proteins.