Question

Which type of operon, inducible or repressible, would an organism likely use to produce enzymes and other proteins required to metabolize a nutrient in its environment? Justify your answer based on models 1 and 2.

Answer 1

An organism would use an inducible operon to produce enzymes for metabolizing nutrients available in the environment, such as the lac operon for lactose, which maximizes resource efficiency.

Step-by-step explanation:

An organism would likely use an inducible operon to produce enzymes needed to metabolize a nutrient in its environment. The lac operon is a prime example of an inducible system, where the presence of lactose "turns on" transcription of the genes needed for its metabolism. Conversely, the trp operon is a repressible system that is turned off when its product, tryptophan, is sufficiently available, preserving resources when the nutrient is not required.

Inducible operons are advantageous because they allow cells to conserve energy by only producing enzymes when the substrate is present. For example, E. coli will not produce lactose-metabolizing enzymes until lactose is actually available in the environment. This regulation is controlled by the operon's response to activators and repressors which respond to the presence or absence of specific substrates, allowing for precise and efficient gene expression based on environmental conditions.

Answer 2

An organism is likely to use an inducible operon to produce enzymes for metabolizing nutrients in the environment, as it allows gene expression to be turned on in the presence of a substrate, avoiding wastage of resources. The lac operon is an example of an inducible operon, whereas the trp operon exemplifies a repressible operon.

Step-by-step explanation:

An organism would likely use an inducible operon to produce enzymes and other proteins required to metabolize a nutrient in its environment. This is because inducible operons are designed to turn on gene expression in the presence of a substrate that needs to be metabolized. The lac operon serves as a classic example of an inducible operon, where the genes for lactose metabolism are turned on only when lactose is present in the environment. In contrast, a repressible operon, such as the trp operon, is usually active but can be turned off when the product of the pathway, such as tryptophan, is available in sufficient quantities from the environment.

An inducible operon is efficient for a cell because it doesn't waste resources producing enzymes that aren't needed. When the substrate, like lactose, becomes available, the presence of the inducer switches on the transcription of the genes necessary for its metabolism. This allows the cell to adapt quickly to the availability of new nutrients, ensuring that the genes for their metabolism are only expressed when needed.