The lactose (lac) operon in E. coli is an example of a gene that is repressed when lactose is not available in a cell. In 3-5 sentences, explain what this means, using correct terminology. (4 points) In simple terms
, when lactose is not available in a cell, the lactose operon is switched off or inhibited. The operon consists of a promoter, operator, and structural genes. The repressor protein binds to the operator region, preventing RNA polymerase from transcribing the structural genes required for lactose metabolism. This mechanism ensures that E. coli only produces the necessary enzymes for lactose utilization when lactose is present in the environment.
