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AP® Biology · Unit 6 · Topic 6.5

Regulation of Gene Expression: Topic Checklist (Biology 6.5)

Specific “I can…” statements for gene regulation, from operons and epigenetic marks to developmental cascades, each linked to the guide section and practice question that tests it.

Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.

Understanding

  • I can explain how a regulatory protein and a regulatory DNA sequence work together to control transcription. (Guide: “Why cells regulate their genes”)
  • I can define constitutive, inducible and repressible genes and give an example of each. (Guide: “Three patterns of expression”; Practice Q1)
  • I can draw and label the lac operon with and without lactose, and say where the repressor gene is. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Q4)
  • I can explain how tryptophan switches the trp operon off, and contrast it with the lac operon. (Guide: “The trp operon”; Practice Q2)
  • I can explain how DNA methylation and histone acetylation change gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. (Guide: “Epigenetic regulation”; Practice Q3)

Skills

  • I can calculate fold change and percentages from expression data and say which value is the reference. (Guide: Worked examples 1 and 2; Practice Q4, Q5)
  • I can predict the effect of a mutation in a repressor gene, an operator or a promoter. (Guide: Worked example 1)
  • I can use deletion data to show that a control sequence acts only on the gene it sits next to. (Practice Q5)

Reasoning

  • I can explain how the position of the operator lets one repressor control several genes, and how a shared control sequence does the same job in eukaryotes. (Guide: “Operons” and “Coordinate regulation in eukaryotes”; Practice Q5)
  • I can make a claim that a gene is controlled epigenetically and support it with evidence of reversibility. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q6)
  • I can explain how a chain of transcription factors produces sequential gene expression in development, and predict the effect of removing one link. (Guide: “From expression to phenotype”; Practice Q7)
  • I can explain why the amount of a gene product, not only its presence, affects the phenotype. (Practice Q7)

All ticked? Move on to Gene Expression and Cell Specialization, or return to the course roadmap.

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