Question

"Proteins control the expression of various characters." Explain this statement by taking an example of "tallness" as a characteristic in plants.

Hint:

Proteins, encoded by genes, are the key regulators of various traits such as height, by influencing growth processes at the cellular level.

Answer 1

In genetics, traits like "tallness" in plants are determined by specific genes – DNA segments within chromosomes. These genes dictate the creation of proteins, which directly impact cell development and function. These proteins control biological processes, including growth.Tallness in plants demonstrates Mendelian inheritance. For instance, in pea plants, tallness is determined by the dominant allele "T," while shortness is recessive, "t."
- The dominant allele "T" generates a protein that fosters cell division and elongation, leading to tall plants.
- The recessive allele "t" does not produce this protein, resulting in shorter plants when inherited in a homozygous form (tt).
- Plants inheriting one "T" allele (from either parent) produce enough of the protein to display the tall phenotype.Therefore, proteins (produced by genes) control tallness by regulating growth-related proteins in plants.