Question

How can changes in the timing and location of expression of regulatory genes result in dramatic morphological changes?

A) By altering the genetic code itself.

B) By causing immediate structural changes in the organism.

C) By influencing the development of various body parts and their arrangements.

D) By introducing entirely new genes into the genome.

Why are many of the fundamental regulatory genes strongly conserved between distantly related organisms?

A) Because these genes are always the same in all organisms.

B) Due to convergent evolution.

C) Because they are essential for basic life processes and development.

D) Because they mutate rapidly.

How can novel structures in organisms derive from tinkering with expression patterns using pre-existing developmental genes?

A) By deleting the pre-existing developmental genes.

B) By creating entirely new genes from scratch.

C) By modifying the expression patterns of existing genes.

D) By introducing foreign genes into the organism.

Answer 1

Changes in the timing and location of expression of regulatory genes can result in dramatic morphological changes in organisms. Many fundamental regulatory genes are strongly conserved between distantly related organisms because they are essential for basic life processes and development. Novel structures in organisms can derive from tinkering with expression patterns using pre-existing developmental genes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The changes in the timing and location of expression of regulatory genes can result in dramatic morphological changes in organisms. This is because regulatory genes control the development of various body parts and their arrangements. By altering the expression patterns of these genes, organisms can exhibit different morphological features.

Many of the fundamental regulatory genes are strongly conserved between distantly related organisms because they are essential for basic life processes and development. These genes play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression, and any changes in their sequence or function can have significant effects on development.

Novel structures in organisms can derive from tinkering with expression patterns using pre-existing developmental genes. By modifying the expression patterns of existing genes, organisms can generate new morphological features without the need for deleting or creating entirely new genes.