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Questions and Answers
What is a gene?
What is a gene?
What is the function of the regulatory region of a gene?
What is the function of the regulatory region of a gene?
What is the term for a gene that does not encode proteins?
What is the term for a gene that does not encode proteins?
What is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of the gene?
What is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of the gene?
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What is the term for a gene that is no longer functional due to mutations?
What is the term for a gene that is no longer functional due to mutations?
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What is the process of using the RNA copy to build a protein?
What is the process of using the RNA copy to build a protein?
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Study Notes
Definition
A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It is a segment of DNA that carries information from one generation to the next and is passed down from an organism's parents.
Structure
A gene consists of:
- Coding region: the part of the gene that codes for a protein
- Regulatory region: the part of the gene that controls when and how the gene is expressed
- Intron: a non-coding region within the gene
- Exon: a coding region within the gene
Function
Genes carry out their function by:
- Encoding proteins: genes provide the instructions for making proteins, which perform a wide range of functions in the cell
- Regulating gene expression: genes can turn on or off to control the amount of protein produced
- Influencing traits: genes determine the characteristics of an organism, such as eye color, hair color, and height
Types of Genes
- Protein-coding genes: genes that encode proteins
- Non-coding genes: genes that do not encode proteins, but instead regulate gene expression or perform other functions
- Pseudogenes: genes that are no longer functional due to mutations
Gene Expression
- Transcription: the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of the gene
- Translation: the process of using the RNA copy to build a protein
- Gene regulation: the process of controlling when and how genes are expressed, through mechanisms such as transcriptional regulation and post-transcriptional regulation
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Description
Test your knowledge of genes, including their structure, function, and types. Learn about coding and regulatory regions, introns and exons, and how genes encode proteins and influence traits.
