All RNA polymerases work with a similar mechanism - the difference is the type of RNA they make. Polymerase I makes rRNAs (ribosomal RNAs), polymerase II makes mRNAs (messenger) and polymerase III makes some rRNA, some tRNA, sRNA and everything else.
mRNA is messenger RNA. This is the one ribosomes bind to and move along in order to create a polypeptide chain. On a chemical level, it is basically a copy of the non-template DNA with U instead of T, but on a structural level mRNA can fold up into loops and various other structures by base pairing with itself. (Btw, microRNA would be abbreviated to "miRNA".)
tRNA is transfer RNA, it binds to amino acids inside the "amino acid pool" in the cell, and brings them to the ribosome bound to mRNA to allow protein synthesis. The order in which amino acids are linked together depends on base pairing between tRNA and mRNA (different tRNAs with different anti-codons bind to different amino acids). At the end of protein synthesis, proteins called "release factors" will come along and mediate release of the ribosome, mRNA and polypeptide.
rRNA is ribosomal RNA, which are RNAs that make up the ribosome.
If you type "splicing" into Google images, literally the first image that comes up shows the chemical side of it quite well (in terms of the branch point A attacking the 5' splice site, formation of the lariat etc.). snRNPs bind to different parts of the intron in order to mediate this reaction, and also to bring both ends of the intron together - remember, introns can be really long.
There is actually a separate enzyme called "tRNA synthetase" that is involved in attaching the correct amino acid to the correct tRNA. And yes, the anticodon interacts with the codon through base pairing.
Ribosomes bind to mRNA and tRNA. The first step involves the ribosome attaching to the mRNA and positioning the codon at a specific site, to which the correct tRNA + amino acid also binds. Once the correct tRNA is in place, the ribosome moves one codon along, and the next tRNA and amino acid will bind. The ribosome also catalyses peptide bond formation between amino acids. Old tRNAs are released as the ribosome moves and new ones carrying new amino acids come in. As for the subunits, in bacteria for example you have a 70S ribosome, which is made up of 30S and 50S (I don't actually know why 30 + 50 = 70). These are usually floating around separated in the cytoplasm. When translation starts, the two subunits will come together to form an active ribosome.
- I don't understand this sentence: "Ribosomes exist as seperate large and small subunits. The first step in translation involves the binding of the small ribosomal subunit to the mRNA" I thought ribosomes were just where translation occurred? I don't undestand what the subunits are and why they are binding to mRNA.
You'll have to be a little more specific about Benzer's stuff. He did a lot of work on E.coli and T4.
I've also tried to keep the explanations brief because I don't know how much you've been taught, so let me know if you want anything elaborated on.
Edit: Which textbooks are you using?