Question

What are two internal factors and two external factors that can affect gene expression?

Answer 1

Gene expression:

1. Gene expression is the process in which the information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product.
2. These products are often proteins, but in the non-protein coding genes such as rRNA genes or tRNA genes, the product is a functional RNA.
3. Gene expression is carefully regulated by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Internal factors that affect gene expression are:

1. Internal factors can influence cell differentiation.
2. Uneven distribution of proteins, mRNA, and the organelles within a cell can affect gene expression.
3. The surrounding cells can influence one another by sending and receiving signal molecules.

External factors that affect gene expression are:

1. Too much oxygen in an organism's environment can prevent the transcription proteins from being made by the cells.
2. Temperature can influence the gene expression
3. Drugs or chemicals in the external environment influence cell differentiation.
4. Light can change the way that genes are expressed.