tRNA

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a type of molecule in cells that helps build proteins. It acts like a messenger or adapter by carrying specific amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—to the cell’s protein-making factory, called the ribosome. Each tRNA has a unique structure that recognizes a particular three-letter code (codon) on the messenger RNA (mRNA). When the correct tRNA matches the mRNA code, it delivers its amino acid, allowing the ribosome to link amino acids together into a protein. In this way, tRNA ensures that proteins are assembled accurately according to genetic instructions.