The ribosome at high resolution. Detailed models of the ribosome based on the results of x-ray crystallographic studies of the 70S ribosome and the 30S and 50S subunits: (left) view of the part of the 50S subunit that interacts with the 30S subunit; (center) side view of the 70S ribosome; (right) view of the part of the 30S subunit that interacts with the 50S subunit. 23S RNA is shown in yellow, 5S RNA in orange, 16S RNA in green, proteins of the 50S subunit in red, and proteins of the 30S subunit in blue. Notice that the interface between the 50S and the 30S subunits consists entirely of RNA.
[Drawn from 1GIX. pdb and 1GIY.pdb.]