ABSTRACT
Transcription of ribosomal genes in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms results in the formation of an RNA molecule which, through a series of processing steps, is converted to mature ribosomal RNAs. The general outline for these events was sketched during the 1960s and early 1970s and has been reviewed by Perry. 1 A more recent review on the structural organization of ribosomal genes has been written by Long and Dawid. 2 Processing of ribosomal RNA to form active ribosomes can be considered as a multiple series of events. However, this review will discuss processing in terms of the nucleolytic scissions leading to 5.8S, 18S, and 28S rRNA production. *
