Final answer:
The process of protein synthesis primarily transpires in the cytoplasm of a cell, following transcription in the nucleus where mRNA is produced. Ribosomes, essential for this process, are assembled in the nucleolus but function within the cytoplasm.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Part of the Cell Where Protein Synthesis Occurs
The process of protein synthesis occurs in the cytoplasm of a cell. While the initial phase, known as transcription, takes place within the nucleus of the cell, the subsequent phase, known as translation, happens in the cytoplasm. During transcription, DNA serves as a template to produce messenger RNA (mRNA), which then travels to the cytoplasm. Once in the cytoplasm, mRNA interacts with ribosomes to begin translation—where the genetic code is read and used to assemble proteins.
Ribosomes themselves are synthesized in the nucleolus of the nucleus, where ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is produced and combined with proteins to form the ribosomal subunits. Although ribosomes are assembled in the nucleolus, they then move to the cytoplasm, where they are functional and actively participate in protein synthesis. Both free-floating ribosomes and those attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum participate in this process to produce cellular proteins.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'The process of protein synthesis occurs in what part of a cell?' is the Cytoplasm.