Chapter 14, Problem 1CONQ

What is the difference between a constitutive gene and a regulated gene?

Summary Introduction

To review:

The differences between a regulated gene and a consecutive gene.

Introduction:

Gene regulation is a process in which, the level of gene expression maintains and varies under different conditions. Some genes are regulated at the time of gene regulation only. There are three types of a regulatory genes which are, repressor, activator, and inducer. Some genes are expressed occasionally.

Explanation of Solution

The difference between a regulated gene and consecutive gene are as follows:

Regulated gene	Constitutive gene
These genes are expressed occasionally.	These genes are usually expressed all the time in the cell.
The amount can vary according to the condition.	These genes are expressed at a fixed rate.
Structure of a regulated gene is quite complicated.	The structure is simpler.
Examples: enzymes in pancreas (insulin gene)	Examples: enzymes in glycolysis process

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that there are many differences between consecutive and regulated gene. The key difference between them is, a regulated gene is expressed occasionally whereas, a consecutive gene is expressed usually, all the time in the cell.