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Question 11 of 30

Q.The functional unit which synthesizes a single polypeptide chain:

(a) Recon
(b) Cistron
(c) Operon
(d) Muton
Puducherry TnboardTamil Nadu HSC First Year (DGE) Board 2018MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
37% · 11/30 Questions
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The cistron is the functional unit of a gene - the stretch of DNA that codes for one complete polypeptide chain.

Benzer's model breaks the gene down into three functional units based on what change in the DNA they measure:

  • CISTRON - the unit of FUNCTION: the smallest segment of DNA that must be intact to produce one functional polypeptide. This is the working definition of "one gene" in the classical sense.
  • MUTON - the unit of MUTATION: the smallest segment of DNA whose alteration (even a single base change) can produce a mutant phenotype - as small as a single nucleotide pair.
  • RECON - the unit of RECOMBINATION: the smallest segment of DNA that can be exchanged/recombined between homologous chromosomes without breaking apart - also as small as a single base pair. …

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