Question

The second major step of gene expression occurs in this compartment of the cell. __________

Answer 1

Ribosome

Step-by-step explanation:

The second major step in gene expression is the translation. The messenger RNA (RNAm) is read according to the genetic code and translated into protein. The translation occurs in specialized organelles called ribosomes located in the cytoplasm. In eukaryotic cells the mRNA must be transferred from the cell nucleus to the ribosomes after transcription in order to be translated; in bacteria, mRNA is translated into protein as soon as it is transcribed. The above is because unlike eukaryotic cells, bacterias do not have a nucleus separating DNA from ribosomes, so there is no barrier that prevents immediate translation.

Further, immediate translation would not work in eukaryotic cells because eukaryotic RNAm must be edited and spliced prior to translation. Edition and splicing occur in a distinct compartment in the eukaryotic nucleus prior to the beginning of translation.

Answer 2

Ribosome

Step-by-step explanation:

Expressing a gene basically means manufacturing its corresponding protein. This process has two major steps:

1. In the transcription process, the information in DNA is transferred to a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule.
2. During translation, which is the second major step, the mRNA is "read" according to the genetic code, which relates the DNA sequence to the amino acid sequence in proteins. Within all cells, the translation occurs within a specialized compartment called the ribosome.