The ability of one person to produce over a million different antibody molecules does not require over a million different genes; rather, this wide range of antibody production is due to
A) alternative splicing of exons after transcription.
B) increased rate of mutation in the RNA molecules.
C) DNA rearrangements.
D) rearrangements of cytosolic proteins in the thymus cells.
E) crossing over between the light and heavy chains of each antibody molecule during meiosis I.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The wide range of antibody production is due to DNA rearrangements which result in a large number of possible combinations of the heavy and light chain genes. This process is known as V(D)J recombination and occurs during the development of B cells.

The Ability of One Person to Produce Over a Million