Prepare for the Clinical Genetics Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Achieve success on your exam!

Multiple Choice

Define gene expression.

Gene expression is the process by which the information encoded by a gene is used to produce a functional product that affects cell function. In practice, this means the gene’s sequence is transcribed into RNA and typically translated into a protein that carries out a cellular function. The definition that the information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, usually a protein, best captures this outcome. The other options describe related, but distinct, processes: organizing DNA into chromatin, copying DNA for cell division, or transcription alone without forming the final functional product.

Gene expression is the process by which the information encoded by a gene is used to produce a functional product that affects cell function. In practice, this means the gene’s sequence is transcribed into RNA and typically translated into a protein that carries out a cellular function. The definition that the information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, usually a protein, best captures this outcome. The other options describe related, but distinct, processes: organizing DNA into chromatin, copying DNA for cell division, or transcription alone without forming the final functional product.