Which statement describes a typical gene?

Which statement describes a typical gene?

• A. A gene is a lipid molecule.
• B. A gene is a segment of DNA that directs the synthesis of a specific protein.
• C. A gene is a protein that carries signals.
• D. A gene is an enzyme that breaks down sugars.

Answer: (B)

A gene is a unit of heredity encoded in DNA that provides the instructions to make a specific protein. The typical flow is that the gene’s DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA, and the mRNA is then translated to assemble a particular sequence of amino acids into a protein with a specific function. This is how genetic information directs the traits of an organism. So, a gene is not a lipid, nor is it a protein by itself, nor an enzyme. Those descriptions refer to the products that genes can lead to—the proteins or enzymes—but the gene itself is the instruction in the DNA that directs protein synthesis. (Note: some genes code for RNA molecules with roles in the cell, but when we talk about a typical gene, we’re often referring to the protein-coding type.)

A gene is a unit of heredity encoded in DNA that provides the instructions to make a specific protein. The typical flow is that the gene’s DNA is transcribed into messenger RNA, and the mRNA is then translated to assemble a particular sequence of amino acids into a protein with a specific function. This is how genetic information directs the traits of an organism.

So, a gene is not a lipid, nor is it a protein by itself, nor an enzyme. Those descriptions refer to the products that genes can lead to—the proteins or enzymes—but the gene itself is the instruction in the DNA that directs protein synthesis. (Note: some genes code for RNA molecules with roles in the cell, but when we talk about a typical gene, we’re often referring to the protein-coding type.)