Question

Cells conserve energy and resources by making active proteins only when they are needed. If a protein is not needed, which of the following methods of control would be the most energy efficient?

Answer 1

The most energy-efficient method for a cell to prevent the production of unneeded proteins is to regulate gene expression at the transcription level. This prevents the energy-intensive processes of transcription, translation, and protein folding for proteins that are not required, thereby conserving energy and resources.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cells conserve energy and resources by producing active proteins only when they are needed. This is because the synthesis of proteins is a highly energy-intensive process. If a protein is not needed, the most energy-efficient method of control would be to regulate gene expression at the level of transcription. This is when the cell controls whether or not a gene is turned on to produce mRNA and subsequently protein.

By regulating gene expression at this stage, the cell does not waste energy on transcription, translation, and the folding of proteins that are not immediately necessary. Preventing the expression of unnecessary proteins helps to maintain cellular equilibrium and allows resources to be allocated to other vital cellular functions. Overall, the complex control of gene expression is essential not just for energy conservation but also for the proper functioning of the cell, and errors in this regulation can lead to diseases, including cancer.

Answer 2

The correct answer is- transcription regulation

Step-by-step explanation:

Transcription regulation is a process by which a cell controls the conversion of DNA into protein-coding mRNA. Transcription regulation is important to conserve energy by making active proteins only when they are needed. It occurs both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

In prokaryotes, operons are found which have operator region that regulates the transcription of mRNA transcript having structural genes. Binding of repressor protein on operator inhibits the initiation of transcription.

In eukaryotes, RNA polymerase requires transcription factors and several proteins to function therefore these factors regulate gene transcription in eukaryotes. So the right answer is transcription regulation.