Final answer:
Enhancer elements can be located thousands of nucleotides upstream or downstream of a gene, within coding regions or introns, and multiple enhancers can associate with a single gene. They bind transcription factors to enhance gene transcription.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enhancer elements in eukaryotic genes can significantly impact the transcription process. These DNA sequences, which include distal control elements, may be located upstream or downstream of a gene, within the coding region, or even within an intron. They are capable of exerting their influence over thousands of nucleotides away.
Enhancers serve as binding sites for transcription factors and activators, which interact with mediator proteins to enhance the transcription of a specific gene. It is also possible for there to be multiple enhancers associated with a given gene. Notably, the DNA can fold in such a manner that an enhancer, even if far away, is brought into proximity with a gene's promoter, facilitating transcription initiation.