Final answer:
The statement that bacterial protein synthesis can begin before the gene has been completely read is true, thanks to the concurrent processes of transcription and translation in the same cellular compartment and direction, forming a polyribosome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that bacterial protein synthesis can begin before the reading of the gene is complete is true. In bacterial cells, the processes of transcription and translation can occur concurrently, allowing for protein synthesis to begin while the mRNA is still being transcribed. This is because prokaryotic transcription and translation both occur in the cytoplasm and proceed in the same 5' to 3' direction. Therefore, a single mRNA molecule can be used to begin the synthesis of many copies of a protein, as multiple ribosomes, forming a structure known as a polyribosome or polysome, can translate it simultaneously.
During protein synthesis in bacteria, such as E. coli, the process begins with the formation of an initiation complex involving the small ribosome subunit and the mRNA template, which is then followed by elongation of the polypeptide chain. Unlike eukaryotic cells, where RNA must be processed and transported out of the nucleus before translation, in bacteria the ribosomes can attach to the mRNA shortly after the initiation of its synthesis, translating it into proteins before transcription is finished.