The part of a cell responsible for protein synthesis is the ribosome. Ribosomes can be found either floating freely in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum, forming the rough ER. They play a crucial role in translating messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins, which are essential for countless cellular functions. Ribosomes read the sequence of mRNA and link together specific amino acids in the correct order to form a polypeptide chain. Understanding ribosomal function is key in molecular biology and has implications for studying diseases and developing therapeutics.