IB Biology D2.2 Gene Expression

Front

What is gene expression?

Back

The process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, typically a protein.

Front

What role does methylation play in gene expression?

Back

Methylation of the promoter region typically represses transcription, leading to decreased gene expression.

Front

Define epigenetics.

Back

The study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

Front

What is an epigenetic tag?

Back

A chemical modification, such as methylation or acetylation, that alters gene expression without changing the DNA sequence.

Front

What is the difference between transcription and translation?

Back

Transcription is the process of copying DNA into RNA, while translation is the process of converting mRNA into a protein.

Front

What is the significance of the promoter in gene expression?

Back

The promoter is a DNA sequence that initiates transcription of a gene by providing a binding site for RNA polymerase.

Front

How do environmental factors influence gene expression?

Back

Environmental factors can lead to variations in epigenetic tags, affecting gene expression and resulting in different phenotypes.

Front

What is the role of RNA polymerase in gene expression?

Back

RNA polymerase is the enzyme that synthesizes RNA from the DNA template during transcription.

Front

Explain the concept of monozygotic twins and gene expression.

Back

Monozygotic twins have identical DNA but can exhibit different phenotypes due to variations in epigenetic tags influenced by environmental factors.

Front

What is the process of translation?

Back

Translation is the process where ribosomes synthesize proteins by reading the sequence of mRNA.