Final answer:
The Shine-Dalgarno sequence is a 9-nucleotide sequence in prokaryotic mRNA that facilitates binding to the small ribosomal subunit.
Step-by-step explanation:
In prokaryotic mRNA, the 9-nucleotide sequence that facilitates binding to the small ribosomal subunit is called the Shine-Dalgarno sequence. This sequence, which has the sequence AGGAGG, interacts with the rRNA molecules that make up the 30S ribosome subunit.
The interaction between the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and the ribosome helps anchor the ribosome to the correct location on the mRNA template for translation to occur.