• Genes can be turned “off” or “on”.
• Activated or deactivated
• Activated - means the gene is expressed or the protein is made.
• Deactivated -means the gene is not expressed or no protein is made.
• Exons and Introns –
• Much of the mRNA that is transcribed in the nucleus DOES NOT actually get translated.
• Some mRNA gets clipped out; enzymes do this and is called processing, maturing, or editing.
• The part taken out = introns (interfering).
• The part that actually codes for the needed amino acids (protein) and goes to the ribosome to be translated is called the exon (that which is expressed).

​

​

Gene Regulation and the Processing of mRNA

GENE REGULATION AND THE PROCESSING OF mRNA

intron

intron

exon

exon

exon

intron

intron

exon

exon

DNA

mRNA

intron

intron

exon

exon

exon

exon

MATUREmRNA

MATUREmRNA

GENE REGULATION AND THE PROCESSING OF mRNA