Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary role of a gene in biology?
What is the primary role of a gene in biology?
During gene expression, what is transcribed into RNA?
During gene expression, what is transcribed into RNA?
How are phenotypic traits inherited?
How are phenotypic traits inherited?
What determines the phenotypes of an organism?
What determines the phenotypes of an organism?
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What are the sets of DNA sequences that make up genotypes?
What are the sets of DNA sequences that make up genotypes?
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In gene expression, what is the term used to describe unvarying expression of a gene?
In gene expression, what is the term used to describe unvarying expression of a gene?
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Which type of genes encode products that are required at all times?
Which type of genes encode products that are required at all times?
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What allows the synchronized regulation of multiple genes encoding products with interdependent activities?
What allows the synchronized regulation of multiple genes encoding products with interdependent activities?
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What term is used to describe genes that are only expressed when their products are required for survival or growth?
What term is used to describe genes that are only expressed when their products are required for survival or growth?
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Which type of gene expression is independent of external factors or signals?
Which type of gene expression is independent of external factors or signals?
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Study Notes
Gene Definition and Function
- A gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that encodes the synthesis of a gene product, either RNA or protein.
- During gene expression, DNA is transcribed into RNA, which can be directly functional or be the intermediate template for a protein that performs a function.
Gene Expression and Inheritance
- The transmission of genes to an organism's offspring is the basis of the inheritance of phenotypic traits.
- Genotypes, along with environmental and developmental factors, determine the phenotypes.
Gene Expression in Cells
- Only a fraction of genes are expressed in a cell at any given time.
- Gene products are present in varying amounts, with some being abundant and others being scarce.
- Requirements for gene products change over time.
Types of Gene Expression
- Constitutive gene expression: unvarying expression of a gene, independent of external factors or signals.
- Genes that specify cellular components performing housekeeping functions (e.g. ribosomal RNAs and proteins involved in protein synthesis) are expressed constitutively.
- Genes for products required at all times (e.g. enzymes of central metabolic pathways) are expressed at a constant level in virtually every cell of a species or organism.
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Description
Explore the concept of genes in biology, including their role in encoding gene products and how they are expressed through transcription into RNA. Learn about the inheritance of traits through the transmission of genes to offspring.
