The lactose (lac) operon in E. coli is an example of a gene that is repressed when lactose is not available in a cell. In 3-5 sentences, explain what this means, using correct terminology.
now shorten it and make it look like it was written by a 10th grader
The lac operon in E. coli is a group of genes that help break down lactose. When there's no lactose, a protein called the repressor stops the genes from being used. The repressor binds to the DNA and blocks the enzyme that makes the genes work. But when there's lactose around, it sticks to the repressor and lets the genes do their job of breaking down lactose.
The lactose (lac) operon in E. coli is a group of genes involved in lactose metabolism. When lactose is not available in a cell, a repressor protein binds to a specific DNA sequence called the operator, preventing the RNA polymerase from transcribing the genes of the lac operon. This mechanism is known as repression, where the repressor protein inhibits gene expression by blocking the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter region of the operon. In the absence of lactose, the lac operon remains in a repressed state, ensuring that energy is not wasted by producing enzymes for lactose metabolism when there is no lactose to metabolize.
The lac operon in E. coli is a set of genes linked together that produce enzymes involved in the metabolism of lactose. When lactose is not available in a cell, the lac repressor protein binds to the operator region of the operon, preventing the RNA polymerase from accessing the promoter region. This repression prevents the transcription of the genes in the lac operon, thus stopping the production of enzymes needed for lactose metabolism. When lactose is present, it binds to the lac repressor, inducing a conformational change that weakens its binding to the operator, allowing RNA polymerase to initiate transcription of the operon.
In E. coli, the lac operon is a genetic system composed of three genes (lacZ, lacY, and lacA) responsible for lactose metabolism. The lac operon is normally repressed or turned off when lactose is not available in the cell. The repression occurs due to the binding of a repressor protein to a specific region of the DNA called the operator. This binding prevents the RNA polymerase from transcribing the genes of the lac operon, effectively shutting down lactose metabolism in the absence of lactose. However, when lactose is present, it binds to the repressor protein, causing a conformational change that leads to the release of the repressor from the operator, allowing the RNA polymerase to transcribe the lac operon genes and enabling lactose metabolism.
