Which of the following statements is true of bacterial translation?

• A. Translation occurs in the cytoplasm and is coupled with transcription.
• B. Translation occurs in the nucleus and is separate from transcription.
• C. Bacterial translation requires a 5' cap on mRNA for initiation.
• D. Bacterial translation uses a poly-A tail for mRNA stability.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that bacterial cells do not have a nucleus, so all processes occur in the cytoplasm.
2. Recognize that in bacteria, transcription and translation are coupled, meaning they occur simultaneously in the cytoplasm.
3. Recall that bacterial mRNA does not have a 5' cap or a poly-A tail, which are features of eukaryotic mRNA.
4. Identify that the coupling of transcription and translation is a key feature of bacterial gene expression, allowing for rapid protein synthesis.
5. Conclude that the statement 'Translation occurs in the cytoplasm and is coupled with transcription' is true for bacterial translation.