Pax-6 is a gene that is involved in eye formation in many invertebrates, such as Drosophila. Pax-6 is also found in vertebrates. A Pax-6 gene from a mouse can be expressed in a fly, and the protein (PAX-6) leads to a compound fly eye. This information suggests which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that a Pax-6 gene can function in both invertebrates and vertebrates suggests that it is highly conserved and has shared evolutionary ancestry. This does not necessarily mean that the nucleotide or amino acid sequences are identical, as there can be variations that still result in functional proteins. The information also does not suggest that PAX-6 proteins are different for different kinds of eyes or that a fly's Pax-6 gene cannot function in a mouse. Therefore, the best choice is C.

Pax-6 Is a Gene That Is Involved in Eye Formation