Binds 16S rRNA, required for the assembly of 30S particles. Part of the 30S ribosomal subunit. Editing at position 50 is more efficient in photosynthetically active tissue. Belongs to the universal ribosomal protein uS14 family. Young tissue from this organism is photosynthetic and contains some thylakoids, although the photosynthetic activity does not exceed the light compensation point.