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Ribosomes function in protein synthesis. They are either found floating throughout the cell cytoplasm or attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Ribosomes are particularly numerous in secretory cells, where protein synthesis actively occurs. This contributes to the bluish appearance of the cytoplasm in these cells, since the acidic RNA found in ribosomes binds the basic, blue hematoxylin stain. This phenomenon is known as cytoplasmic basophilia.
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