Component of the ribosome, a large ribonucleoprotein complex responsible for the synthesis of proteins in the cell (PubMed:23636399, PubMed:25901680, PubMed:25957688, PubMed:28257692). The small ribosomal subunit (SSU) binds messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and translates the encoded message by selecting cognate aminoacyl-transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules (PubMed:23636399, PubMed:25901680, PubMed:25957688). The large subunit (LSU) contains the ribosomal catalytic site termed the peptidyl transferase center (PTC), which catalyzes the formation of peptide bonds, thereby polymerizing the amino acids delivered by tRNAs into a polypeptide chain (PubMed:23636399, PubMed:25901680, PubMed:25957688). The nascent polypeptides leave the ribosome through a tunnel in the LSU and interact with protein factors that function in enzymatic processing, targeting, and the membrane insertion of nascent chains at the exit of the ribosomal tunnel (PubMed:23636399, PubMed:25901680, PubMed:25957688). Plays an important role in translational accuracy (PubMed:28257692). Part of the small subunit (SSU) processome, first precursor of the small eukaryotic ribosomal subunit. During the assembly of the SSU processome in the nucleolus, many ribosome biogenesis factors, an RNA chaperone and ribosomal proteins associate with the nascent pre-rRNA and work in concert to generate RNA folding, modifications, rearrangements and cleavage as well as targeted degradation of pre-ribosomal RNA by the RNA exosome (PubMed:34516797). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:23636399, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25901680, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25957688, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28257692, ECO:0000269|PubMed:34516797}. This is the function of Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000186468 (RPS23, ribosomal protein S23).