The formation of nucleoli requires the transcription of 45S pre-rRNA, which appears to lead to the fusion of small prenucleolar bodies that contain processing factors and other components of the nucleolus. In most cells, the initially separate nucleoli then fuse to form a single nucleolus.

What are nucleoli made of?

Nucleoli are made of proteins, DNA and RNA and form around specific chromosomal regions called nucleolar organizing regions. Malfunction of nucleoli can be the cause of several human conditions called "nucleolopathies" and the nucleolus is being investigated as a target for cancer chemotherapy.

How ribosomes are formed in nucleolus?

Eukaryote ribosomes are produced and assembled in the nucleolus. Ribosomal proteins enter the nucleolus and combine with the four rRNA strands to create the two ribosomal subunits (one small and one large) that will make up the completed ribosome (see Figure 1).