Question

Some mutations can disable genes. what might be the result of such a mutation within the lac i regulatory region of the lac operon?

Answer 1

The lac operon is seen in bacteria, which is a sequence of genes on the mRNA molecule. Lac operon is involved in the digestion of lactose in bacteria.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is a operon which is switched on when substrate i.e. Lactose is available for digestion. Lac operon produces substances like Beta lactase etc which leads to lactose digestion. But if Lac I is mutated, and lost its function, then the regulatory effect of lac operon is gone. That means cell will produce enzymes to digest lactose even if lactose is absent in the media.

Answer 2

In a situation where a lac I mutation was to happen then the absence of repressor might happen. This would mean the cell is making proteins and wasting energy for no reason. The lac operon has a negative control because its transcription happens only when the repressor molecule stops binding to the operator region.