Multiple choice

The largest subunit of prokaryotic ribosomes is

  1. 30S

  2. 40S

  3. 50S

  4. 60S

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Prokaryotic ribosomes have 70S structure composed of large (50S) and small (30S) subunits. The 50S is the larger subunit. Eukaryotic ribosomes have 80S structure with 60S and 40S subunits. The S (Svedberg) unit measures sedimentation rate, not molecular weight, so the numbers don't add up mathematically.