Final answer:
Genes, located on chromosomes, encode proteins and RNA. Gene expression refers to the use of gene information to create these products. Coding and non-coding RNAs serve different functions, with coding RNAs being translated into proteins and non-coding RNAs involved in regulation and other cellular processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Genes are found on chromosomes and are parts of the genome that encode proteins and RNA. Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, which can be proteins or RNA molecules.
The difference between coding and non-coding RNA is that coding RNA, such as messenger RNA (mRNA), is translated into protein, whereas non-coding RNA is not translated but has various roles in the cell including regulation of gene expression (regulatory RNA), structuring of the ribosome (ribosomal RNA), and transportation of amino acids (transfer RNA).
Regulation of gene expression is crucial as it determines which proteins are produced in a cell at any given time, ensuring that proteins are available when needed and in the correct amounts. Different genes can be categorized as structural genes, which specify the final gene product such as proteins or RNA, and regulatory genes, which control when and how much of these products are made.