What is the enzyme responsible for the attachment of amino acids to tRNA molecules?

The enzyme responsible for the attachment of amino acids to tRNA molecules is aminoacyl-tRNA synthase. This enzyme plays a crucial role in protein synthesis by catalyzing the reaction that links an amino acid to its corresponding tRNA. This attachment is essential because it ensures that the correct amino acid is delivered to the ribosome according to the codon sequence in the mRNA during translation. Each aminoacyl-tRNA synthase is specific to a particular amino acid and its corresponding tRNA, thereby maintaining the fidelity of protein synthesis.

In contrast, ribonuclease is an enzyme that primarily degrades RNA molecules and is not involved in the synthesis of proteins. DNA polymerase is involved in DNA replication, facilitating the addition of nucleotides to a growing DNA strand, and is not related to tRNA or amino acid attachment. Peptidyl transferase is a component of the ribosome responsible for forming peptide bonds between amino acids to create a polypeptide chain, but it does not attach amino acids to tRNA. Therefore, aminoacyl-tRNA synthase is the correct answer, as it directly facilitates the amino acid-tRNA conjugation necessary for accurate translation.