The human genome has far fewer genes than previously thought. All of the following are ways that cells theoretically can increase the types of proteins they produce except

alternative splicing

transcription factors

compounding

Anticodons that are complementary to mRNA codons

I am totally lost here. I am thinking it is alternative splicing but am really only about 25% sure. Any takers?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_splicing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcription_factor

http://www.ncc.gmu.edu/dna/genetic.htm

To answer this question, we need to understand the concept of alternative splicing and how it can increase the types of proteins that cells produce.

Alternative splicing is a process in which different combinations of exons (coding sequences) in a gene are joined together to generate multiple variants of a protein. This means that a single gene can produce multiple protein isoforms. By using alternative splicing, cells can expand the functional diversity of their proteome without increasing the number of genes in the genome.

Now we can examine the answer choices and eliminate the ones that are actually ways cells can increase the types of proteins they produce:

1. Alternative splicing: As explained above, alternative splicing is a mechanism that can increase the types of proteins produced by a cell.

2. Transcription factors: Transcription factors are proteins that bind to DNA and regulate gene expression. They control which genes are transcribed into RNA and eventually translated into proteins. By regulating gene expression, transcription factors can affect the types of proteins produced by a cell.

3. Compounding: This term is not directly related to cellular processes or gene expression. Compounding generally refers to the process of combining ingredients or compounds, and it is not a mechanism by which cells increase the types of proteins they produce. Therefore, we can eliminate this option.

4. Anticodons that are complementary to mRNA codons: Anticodons are sequences on transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules that recognize and bind to complementary codons on mRNA during translation. This process ensures that the correct amino acids are added to the growing polypeptide chain. While anticodons play a critical role in protein synthesis, they do not directly increase the types of proteins produced by cells.

Based on the explanations above, the option that does not contribute to increasing the types of proteins produced is "compounding." Therefore, the correct answer is compounding.