ribosome riÂ·boÂ·some (rÄ«'bÉ-sÅm') n. A minute round cytoplasmic particle composed of RNA and protein that is the site of protein synthesis as directed by mRNA.
Chengdu is located on the edge of the fertile plains of the Red Basin in China's Sichuan Province. Due to its agricultural wealth, Chengdu is sometimes called the Land of Milk and Honey. The Funan river bisects the city, although boat traffic, common until the 1960's, has all but vanished.
Updated: May 6, 2009. On the afternoon of May 12, 2008, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province, a mountainous region in Western China, killing about 70,000 people and leaving over 18,000 missing. Over 15 million people lived in the affected area, including almost 4 million in the city of Chengdu.