Ribosomal protein L13 leader

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ribosomal-protein-l13-leader

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Ribosomal protein L13 leader (a class of non-coding RNA)
2. What is the habitat?Intracellular within various bacterial species, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
3. Why does the cell need to control how much L13 protein it makes?Too much or too little L13 can upset the ribosome and stop the cell from making proteins properly.
4. How does the L13 leader keep the protein levels balanced?It can bind the L13 protein or other factors, which stops the ribosome from making more L13 when enough is already present.

Ribosome Biogenesis: The complex cellular process of synthesizing and assembling functional ribosomes.
Autoregulation: A feedback mechanism where a gene product regulates its own expression.
Stoichiometry: The relative quantities of reactants and products in a chemical reaction or biological process.