What types of proteins are produced by free ribosomes?

Free ribosomes produce different types of proteins, all of which are destined to remain in the cytosol or be incorporated into the mitochondria, nucleus, or peroxisomes. These proteins are essential for internal cellular activity and are not synthesized anywhere else in the cell. Some types of proteins produced by free ribosomes include enzymes involved in the metabolism of macromolecules, contractile proteins in muscle cells, hemoglobin in red blood cells, and those used by the mitochondria, the cell’s energy center.