High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A ribozyme is an RNA molecule with a well defined tertiary structure that enables it to catalyze a chemical reaction. Ribozyme means ribonucleic acid enzyme. It may also be called an RNA enzyme or catalytic RNA. Many natural ribozymes catalyze either the hydrolysis of one of their own phosphodiester bonds (self-cleaving ribozymes), or the hydrolysis of bonds in other RNAs. Some have been found to catalyze the aminotransferase activity of the ribosome. Examples of ribozymes include the hammerhead ribozyme, the VS ribozyme and the hairpin ribozyme.