You are working in a lab and studying a gene. You notice that many other genes in the same organism code for similar proteins. This is MOST likely the result of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Duplication and divergence is the process by which new genes are formed through gene duplication followed by mutations that lead to divergence in the function of the duplicated genes. This is the most likely explanation for the presence of many similar genes coding for similar proteins in the same organism. Reciprocal translocation, inversion, deletion, and transposition are all types of chromosomal mutations that can affect the structure and function of genes, but they are less likely to result in the formation of many similar genes coding for similar proteins in the same organism.

You Are Working in a Lab and Studying a Gene