snRNP (small nuclear ribonucleoprotein)

snRNPs, or small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, are essential molecular complexes within the cell nucleus that play a crucial role in processing pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA). They are composed of small nuclear RNA (snRNA) and proteins, working together to identify and remove non-coding regions (introns) from pre-mRNA. This splicing process produces mature mRNA, which is necessary for translating genetic information into proteins. Essentially, snRNPs are molecular tools that ensure the accurate editing of genetic messages before they are used to build proteins, maintaining proper gene expression and cellular function.