Question

Humans contain about 20,000 genes but can make 75,000- 100,000 different proteins. The most likely explanation for this is:

O Alternative splicing of exons
O Redundancy of the genetic code
O Exon shuffling
O All of them contribute

Answer 1

The most likely explanation for humans being able to make 75,000-100,000 different proteins from about 20,000 genes is the alternative splicing of exons. The answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely explanation for humans being able to make 75,000-100,000 different proteins from about 20,000 genes is the alternative splicing of exons. Alternative splicing allows different combinations of exons within a gene to be included in the final mRNA, resulting in the production of different proteins.

This process significantly increases the protein diversity that can be generated from a limited number of genes. The other options mentioned, such as redundancy of the genetic code and exon shuffling, also contribute to protein diversity but are not the primary explanation for the large number of different proteins produced.