Chapter 11: Gene Control

Repressor proteins that turn genes off are less common in eukaryotes than _______________, proteins that turn genes on by binding to DNA. They make it easer for RNA polymerase to bind to the promoter.

activators

The final opportunities for regulating gene expression occur ____________ translation.

after

The overall process by which genetic information flows from genes to proteins is called ______________________________.

gene expression

Cells with the same genetic information can develop into different type of cells through _______________________________, mechanisms that turn on certain genes while other genes remain turned off.

gene regulation

Many proto-oncogenes code for _____________________, proteins that stimulate cell division, or for other proteins that affect the cell cycle.

growth factors

Master control genes called ______________________ regulate groups of other genes that determine what body parts will develop in which locations.

homeotic genes

For a proto-oncogene to become an oncogene, a _______________ must occur in the cell's DNA.

mutation

Genes determine the ________________________________ of specific mRNA molecules, and mRNA in turn determines the sequence of ____________________ in proteins. (DNA -----> RNA ----> protein)

nucleotide sequence, amino acids

Within a eukaryotic cell, transcription occurs in the ___________, where RNA transcripts are processed into mRNA before moving to the cytoplasm for translation by the _______________.

nucleus, ribosomes

A gene that causes cancer

oncogene

Each DNA fragment is obtained from a ___________________; a single microarray thus carries DNA from ____________________________, perhaps even all the genes of an organism.

particular gene, thousands of genes

A normal gene with the potential to become an oncogene is called a

proto-oncogene

If the animal to be cloned is a mammal, further development requires implanting the early embryo into the uterus of a surrogate mother. This type of cloning is called ____________________________________ because it results in the birth of a new animal.

reproductive cloning

Every cell in your body has the ________ DNA as the zygote and every ___________ (body) cell contains every gene.

same, somatic

One mechanism operating after translation is the _____________________________________________________________. Some proteins that trigger metabolic changes in cells are broken down within a few minutes or hours. This regulation allows a cell to adjust the kinds and amounts of its proteins in response to changes in its environment.

selective breakdown of proteins

Within a cell, a signal molecule can act by binding to a receptor protein and initiating a _________________________________________, a series of molecular changes that converts a signal received outside a cell to a specific response inside the target cell.

signal transduction pathway

Repressor proteins, which may bind to DNA sequences called ________________, inhibit the start of transcription.

silencers

What is NOT a possible use of reproductive cloning?

Creating stocks of stem cells for human therapeutic use

A _______________________ is a glass slide with thousands of different kinds of single-stranded DNA fragments attached in a tightly spaced array (grid).

DNA microarray

Cells may use ___________________ for long-term inactivation of genes.

DNA packing

What is the first level of control of eukarytoic gene transcription?

DNA packing and unpacking

What is a difference between embryonic and adult stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated; adult stem cells are partially differentiated.

________________________________ involves replacing the nucleus of an egg cell or a zygote with a nucleus removed from an adult body cell.

Nuclear transplantation

___________________________ occurs in female mammals, takes place early in embryonic development and is when one of the two X chromosomes in each cell is inactivated at random.

X chromosome inactivation

With this sort of ______________________________________, an organism can produce more than one type of polypeptide from a single gene.

alternative RNA splicing

A cell can produce and secrete chemicals that affect gene regulation in __________________________.

another cell

In prokaryotes and eukaryotes, regulatory proteins _______ to DNA and turn the ___________________ of genes on and off.

bind, transcription

What is a type of post transcriptional regulation of gene expression?

breakdown of proteins

RNA processing includes the addition of _____ and ______, removal of any __________, and splicing together of the remaining ________.

cap, tail, introns, exons

Gene regulation affects two important processes: _____________ and ____________.

cloning, cancer

In a multicellular organism, gene regulation can ______________________________________, allowing info to be communicated between and among cells.

cross cell boundaries

Adult stem cells are further along the road to ___________________ than ES cells. Adult stem cells are ______ ethically problematic than ES cells.

differentiation, less

In mammals, ___________________________ are obtained by removing cells from an early embryo and growing them in laboratory culture.

embryonic stem cells (ES cells)

Small single-stranded RNA molecules, called microRNAs (miRNAs), can bind to complementary sequences on ___________________ in the cytoplasm.

mRNA molecules

The development of a ____________ tumor is accompanied by a gradual accumulation of mutations that convert proto-oncogenes to __________________ and knock out _____________________________ genes.

malignant, oncogenes, tumor-supressor genes

Some _____________ trigger breakdown of their target mRNA, whereas others block _______________.

miRNA, translation

Every cell in your body was produced through successive rounds of ___________ starting from the ____________, the original cell that formed after fusion of sperm and egg.

mitosis, zygote

Eukaryotes, especially multicellular ones, have more __________________ mechanisms than bacteria for regulating the expression of their genes.

sophisticated

Regulating gene activity allows for ___________________________ of cells within the body.

specialization

The purpose of _________________________ is not to produce a living organism but rather produce embryonic stem cells.

therapeutic cloning

A gene that is turned on is being __________________ into mRNA, and that message is being ______________ into specific proteins.

transcribed, translated

The initiation of ________________ is the most important stage for regulating gene expression.

transcription

Transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes is complex, typically involving many proteins, collectively called ________________________________, acting in concert to bind to DNA sequences called _____________ and to the promoter.

transcription factors, enhancers

Genes that inhibit cell division are called _________________ because the proteins they encode normally help prevent uncontrolled cell growth.

tumor-suppressor genes

A cell can acquire an oncogene from a __________ or the mutation of one of its own ___________________.

virus, proto-oncogenes