Why does translation terminate when the ribosome reaches a stop codon? what happens?

The translation is a process which synthesizes the protein by reading the information encoded in the codons. The translation proceeds in three stages: initiation, elongation and termination.

During termination, the translation process stops or terminates after the ribosome reads the non-sense codons which are UAG, UGA and UAA. These non-sense codons do not have any specific tRNA due to which the ribosomes terminate the process and release the nascent polypeptide formed from the E-site of the ribosome.

Thus, the release of the polypeptides is the final event of translation.

a. decomposes use carbon from dead organisms as fuel for cellular respiration, returning carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.