Addition of a poly(A) tail to an mRNA molecule ________.
A) allows the mRNA to be recognized by ribosomes during translation
B) allows mRNA molecules to be more stable in the cytoplasm
C) results in removal of introns
D) only occurs in bacteria
E) is an important step in translation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The addition of a poly(A) tail to an mRNA molecule enables the molecule to be more stable in the cytoplasm. This tail protects the mRNA from degradation by exonucleases. It does not directly aid in translation by ribosomes, nor does it result in intron removal. Although some prokaryotes do add poly(A) tails to their mRNA, it is much more common in eukaryotes.

Addition of a Poly(A) Tail to an MRNA Molecule ________