Florida Biology EOC Practice Test 2026 - Free Biology End-of-Course Practice Questions and Study Guide

Translation is the process in which the genetic code carried by mRNA is read by ribosomes to synthesize proteins. This process primarily takes place at ribosomes, which can be found either free-floating in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.

While ribosomes are the site of translation, the broader context of the question focuses on the cell's environment where translation occurs. The cytoplasm is the cellular fluid that contains ribosomes and is the overall site where translation takes place. Therefore, the choice indicating the cytoplasm accurately reflects the location since it encompasses the area where ribosomes, which are the functional units of translation, operate to assemble amino acids into proteins.

The nucleus, on the other hand, is the site of transcription where DNA is transcribed to mRNA, and it does not participate in translation. The endoplasmic reticulum is involved primarily in the synthesis and modification of proteins after they have been translated, linking it to post-translational processes rather than the translation itself.