Question

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Many people have said that food preservatives can lead to cancer, but well known researchers have said that two common preservatives (BMH and BSH) actually reduced the risk of getting cancer.

It has been known that these preservatives activate a gene that produced an enzyme which reduces the likelihood of tumours forming in the body.



What is the MOST DIRECT link between a gene and an enzyme?

a) each gene has the ability to code for many different enzymes

b) a DNA nucleotide sequence determines an amino acid sequence

Answer 1

The direct link between a gene and an enzyme is that the gene's sequence of DNA nucleotides dictates the specific amino acid sequence of an enzyme, which in turn determines the enzyme's function. Therefore, the correct option is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The MOST DIRECT link between a gene and an enzyme is that a DNA nucleotide sequence of a gene determines the amino acid sequence of an enzyme, which is a protein. This is due to the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein, commonly known as the central dogma of molecular biology.

For example, when certain food preservatives activate genes, they are promoting the transcription and translation of specific enzymes that can help reduce the likelihood of tumors. In the historical context, the 'one gene-one enzyme' hypothesis was evidenced by researchers like George Beadle and Edward Tatum, who demonstrated the relationship using the mold Neurospora crassa.