The small subunit binds to the 5’ end of the mRNA and scans for the start codon (AUG).
tRNA with methionine (Met) binds to the start codon in the P site.
The large subunit joins the complex, forming the functional ribosome.
Codon: A sequence of three mRNA nucleotides that specifies a particular amino acid (or a stop signal).
The genetic code is read in codons during translation.