Ribozymes, also known as catalytic RNA molecules, are RNA molecules capable of catalyzing chemical reactions within cells. For a long time, it was believed that all enzymes in living systems were proteins only. However, recent discoveries in biochemistry have shown that some RNA molecules can act as effective biological catalysts, significantly changing scientists' understanding of the role of nucleic acids in the cell. Ribozymes are capable of accelerating chemical reactions in a manner similar to protein enzymes. They possess a three-dimensional structure that allows them to bind target molecules and catalyze reactions. Their activity depends on the sequence of nucleotides in the RNA molecule, which forms a complex spatial structure enabling catalytic activity. One of the most well-known roles of ribozymes is their participation in the cleavage and ligation of RNA molecules during gene expression. In some cases, these molecules remove unnecessary parts of the primary RNA transcript, a process known as RNA splicing. Some ribozymes can also catalyze the formation of phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides, assisting in the assembly or modification of RNA molecules. An important example of ribozymes is the ribosome, the cellular structure responsible for protein synthesis. Studies have shown that the core catalytic activity of the ribosome depends on ribosomal RNA (rRNA) rather than proteins alone, indicating that RNA plays a direct role in forming peptide bonds during translation. Studying ribozymes is highly significant in various fields, including biotechnology and genetic engineering. Scientists have been able to design synthetic ribozymes capable of targeting and cleaving specific RNA molecules, opening the way for developing gene therapies for diseases caused by abnormal gene expression. The discovery of ribozymes provides strong evidence that RNA molecules can combine the functions of genetic information storage and chemical catalysis, supporting the “RNA World” hypothesis, which proposes that early life on Earth may have relied primarily on RNA molecules before the emergence of proteins and DNA. Al-Mustaqbal University, the leading private university in Iraq