Recently, the importance of ribosomes has greatly increased. It was discovered that they play a large role in the functionality of stem cells. This is due to the ribosome’s effect on translational efficiency. Without high translational efficiency, stem cells would lose the ability to differentiate into other cells. If stem cells become dysfunctional, whether it is due to malfunctioning ribosomes, lack of ribosomes, or other mutations, diseases could arise and tumors may form. In certain conditions, the tumor can be malignant and generate cancer. As more research is done on these connections, alternate treatments for cancer may be discovered and scientists may be able to figure out a way to prevent certain cancers from forming by starting at its molecular source.
Anika Chawla, Grade 12, Metea Valley High School