The way in which genetic information in a gene is decided in the cell and used to make a protein is called

• A. Genetic code
• B. Haploid
• C. Genotype
• D. Gene expression

Answer: (D)

Gene expression is the process by which the information in a gene is used to make a protein. It begins with transcription, where the gene’s DNA sequence is copied into messenger RNA, and continues with translation, where the ribosome reads the mRNA codons and assembles the corresponding amino acids into a polypeptide that folds into a protein. Regulation at various steps determines when, where, and how much protein is produced, so expression can vary between cell types and conditions. The genetic code is just the set of rules that links codons to specific amino acids and is part of translation, not the whole process of producing a protein. Haploid describes having one complete set of chromosomes, not the process of making proteins. Genotype refers to the particular alleles an individual carries, not how those alleles are expressed as a product.