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 why cells with the same genome make different proteins, using the term differential gene expression. (Guide: “One genome, many kinds of cell”; Practice Q1)
- I can describe how general transcription factors and RNA polymerase assemble at a promoter. (Guide: “Starting transcription at a promoter”)
- I can explain how activators on an enhancer, far upstream or downstream, raise the rate of transcription through DNA looping. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Q2)
- I can explain how a repressor bound to DNA blocks transcription. (Guide: “Repressors: turning transcription down”; Practice Q5)
- I can describe how miRNAs and siRNAs reduce gene expression after transcription, without changing the DNA. (Guide: Figure 2; Practice Q3, Q6)
Skills
- I can use reporter-gene deletion data to identify a promoter, an enhancer and a silencer, with percentages. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q5)
- I can compare protein and mRNA changes to decide whether a small RNA blocks translation, causes mRNA breakdown, or both. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q3)
- I can predict which genes a cell type expresses from the combination of activators and repressors it contains. (Guide: “Combinations of transcription factors”; Practice Q4)
Reasoning
- I can make a claim about how a gene is regulated and support it with two pieces of evidence and a mechanism. (Guide: Worked examples 1 and 2; Practice Q5, Q6)
- I can explain the purpose of a control group in an RNA-interference experiment. (Practice Q6)
- I can explain how a change in an enhancer can alter the phenotype in one tissue only, and contrast it with a change in the coding sequence. (Guide: “From regulation to phenotype”; Practice Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 6.7, Mutations, or return to the course roadmap.