Final answer:
It is true that the parts of a ribosome can self-assemble in a test tube, as ribosomes possess the inherent ability to form functional units from their individual components under suitable conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that if you put all the parts of a ribosome into a test tube, they will self-assemble is True. Ribosomes can self-assemble from their individual components under the right conditions. This has been observed experimentally, with the large and small subunits of ribosomes coming together to form a functional ribosome capable of protein synthesis. The assembly process in a test tube mimics the in vivo assembly in cells but is a simplified version of it. This self-assembly capability is crucial for ribosome biogenesis—a process critical to cell function.
Ribosomes are essential cellular machines composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins. They function as the site of protein synthesis by translating messenger RNA (mRNA) into polypeptide chains. tRNAs serve as adaptors that carry amino acids to the ribosome and match them to the codons in the mRNA sequence during translation. The fact that ribosomal components can assemble themselves in a test tube demonstrates the inherent structural properties and interactions that guide ribosome formation and function.