How many subunits do eukaryotic ribosomes contain?

Eukaryotic ribosomes are composed of two subunits: the large ribosomal subunit and the small ribosomal subunit. Specifically, the large subunit is designated as 60S and the small subunit as 40S, which combine to form a complete ribosome that is referred to as 80S. This composition is essential for the ribosome's function in protein synthesis, where the small subunit is primarily responsible for decoding the mRNA, while the large subunit facilitates the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids.

The structure and function of these ribosomal subunits are crucial in various cellular processes, including the translation of genetic information from messenger RNA into proteins. Understanding the subunit composition provides insights into ribosomal function, interactions with different types of RNA, and the overall protein synthesis mechanism in eukaryotic cells. This is particularly important for the development of antibiotics that target bacterial ribosomes, as they can exploit the differences in ribosomal structure between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.