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Translation: the process of protein synthesis--occurs on ribosomes. The ribosome and associated molecules translate the triplet code of an mRNA molecule into the amino acid sequence of a protein. It is the amino acid sequence that determines the structure and ultimately the function of a protein. Thus, it is critical that the proper amino acid be inserted at the proper place in the polypeptide chain. Here we focus on the events of the three stages of translation in a prokaryote: initiation, elongation, and termination. |