The lac operon in Escherichia coli
A) prevents lactose-utilizing enzymes from being expressed when lactose is absent from the environment.
B) prevents lactose intolerance.
C) prevents lactose-utilizing enzymes from being expressed when lactose is present in the environment.
D) promotes the expression of lactose-utilizing enzymes when lactose is absent from the environment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The lac operon in E. coli is a classic example of gene regulation in prokaryotes. It ensures that the enzymes necessary for lactose metabolism are only produced when lactose is available in the environment, thereby preventing wasteful synthesis of these enzymes when lactose is absent.

The Lac Operon in Escherichia Coli