The method of Ramsey and Steele [Anal. Biochem., 92 (1979) 305--313] was used to examine the size distribution of membrane-bound and free polyribosomes from the liver of male C57 BL/6 mice over the life span. Optimization of the concentration of Mg2+ and liver cell sap suppressed breakdown by ribonuclease and presumably gave preparations that approximate the integrity of native polyribosome populations. The content of polysomes per unit liver tissue from 7 groups of fed mice aged 10--35 months showed an age-related increase of subunits and monomers (+54%) and dimers-to-pentamers (+76%) in membrane-bound polyribosomes. The dimer-to-pentamer class of free polyribosomes also increased (+52%). Polysomes larger than nonamers showed 13% and 21% decreases that were not statistically significant. Total tissue ribosomes increased 15%, while the membrane-bound/free polyribosome ratio remained nearly constant at about 1.15. In a subsequent study, both 6 h-fasted and fed mice showed decreases (-20% to -33%) in membrane-bound and free polyribosomes larger than nonamers during aging from 15 to 35 months. The dimer-to-pentamer class of free polyribosomes in fed mice increased (+26%), while this class in the other groups underwent increases (+26 to +39%) that were not statistically significant. We conclude that the liver in old mice is not obviously deficient in either quantity or general quality of ribosomes. Old animals do tend to show an increase in small polysomes and a decrease in large polysomes, which is consistent with a reduction in the rate of translation.