Science Common Sense
1611 - How is gene expression regulated?
Imagine your genes are like recipes in a cookbook. Gene expression is like making a dish according to a recipe. Your body decides which recipes to follow (which genes to express) and when.
Gene expression is regulated by "switches" that turn the recipe on or off. Here are some of the main ways it's controlled:
- DNA switches: These are special parts of the DNA that can be turned on or off. When a switch is "on", the recipe is followed, and when it's "off", the recipe isn't followed.
- Protein helpers: Special proteins called transcription factors can attach to the DNA switches and either turn them on or off.
- Environmental signals: Things around you, like the food you eat or the light you see, can send signals to the cells in your body to turn on or off certain recipes.
- Inherited information: The instructions for making these switches and helpers are inherited from your parents and are written in your DNA.
All these elements work together to help your body decide which genes to express and when, so that your cells can do their jobs properly.