6.4 Translation

• Translation is the process by which mRNA sequence is used to generate a corresponding polypeptide, occurring on ribosomes
• Prokaryotes have cytosolic ribosomes, while eukaryotes have ribosomes in their cytosol and ribosomes bound to the endoplasmic reticulum
• Three main steps of the translation process in prokaryotic organisms are initiation, elongation, and termination
• Retroviruses introduce viral RNA into host cells, using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase to copy viral RNA into viral DNA, which then integrates into the host genome
• All organisms use the same genetic code, allowing viral DNA to be chemically suitable with host cell channels, evidencing common ancestry