Gene Structure

Introduction

• Genes are fundamental units of genetic information found in DNA.
• They play a crucial role in encoding the instructions for protein synthesis and various cellular functions.

1. Coding and Non-Coding Regions

• Genes consist of DNA sequences that code for proteins.
• An interesting feature of many genes is the presence of both coding and non-coding regions.
• The coding regions of a gene are known as exons, while the intervening non-coding regions are called introns.

2. Exons - Coding Regions

• Exons are the segments of a gene that contain the actual genetic code for synthesizing a protein.
• They provide the blueprint for the amino acid sequence that forms the protein.
• Exons are essential for protein synthesis and function.

3. Introns - Non-Coding Regions

• Introns are non-coding regions within a gene.
• They do not contain instructions for protein synthesis.
• Instead, they have regulatory functions and play a role in gene expression and alternative splicing.
• Alternative splicing involves the removal of specific introns, allowing different protein variants to be produced from a single gene.

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Gene Structure

Significance of Gene Structure

• The presence of introns and exons in gene structure is essential for the regulation and diversity of gene expression.
• Introns contribute to the complexity of gene regulation by acting as regulatory elements.
• Alternative splicing of introns allows for the generation of multiple protein variants from a single gene.