Totally Basic Bio Question

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Just Joshin

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Can anyone out there explain the Lac Operon to me as if I'm two years old? Use small words please. I read this section in EK over and over again and I don't get it. The only thing I understand is that it has something to do with lactose and maybe glucose. Anyone?
 
lac.jpg


Alright so let's look at this figure.

You can see when there is glucose AND lactose present, there is no transcription because the bacteria has glucose around which it can use.

When there is glucose and no lactose present there's even a repressor bound.

High lactose concentration allows for production of inducers that remove the repressor, and would allow RNA polymerase to bind. However, RNA polymerase cannot do it on its own, and needs the CAP protein complexed with cAMP to work. We need low glucose concentration for cAMP to be present in the cell.

Therefore the Lac operon will only be active when we have lactose and LOW amounts of glucose.

Having the Lac operon active allows the bacteria to import and metabolize lactose for energy, but it only does this when there is lots of lactose around and not much glucose around. If there is glucose around, it would rather use that because it doesn't need to make a bunch of extra enzymes to do so, so even if there is lactose around but lots of glucose, the bacteria doesn't need to waste energy making all the extra stuff required to metabolize lactose. It only activates this operon when lactose is the only source of energy around.
 
Can anyone out there explain the Lac Operon to me as if I'm two years old? Use small words please. I read this section in EK over and over again and I don't get it. The only thing I understand is that it has something to do with lactose and maybe glucose. Anyone?
It's just regulating the making of lactose. When there is no lactose, the repressor stops the cells from making the enzymes (lacX/Y/Z) but when there is lactose, it basically taps the repressor on the shoulder and tells it to go home (or if you prefer, it takes a rag soaked in ether and swiftly places it over the mouth of the repressor, rendering it unconcious).

High lactose = repressed repressor = enzymes made
Low lactose = activated repressor = enzymes inhibited from being made
 
lac.jpg


Alright so let's look at this figure.

You can see when there is glucose AND lactose present, there is no transcription because the bacteria has glucose around which it can use.

When there is glucose and no lactose present there's even a repressor bound.

High lactose concentration allows for production of inducers that remove the repressor, and would allow RNA polymerase to bind. However, RNA polymerase cannot do it on its own, and needs the CAP protein complexed with cAMP to work. We need low glucose concentration for cAMP to be present in the cell.

Therefore the Lac operon will only be active when we have lactose and LOW amounts of glucose.

Having the Lac operon active allows the bacteria to import and metabolize lactose for energy, but it only does this when there is lots of lactose around and not much glucose around. If there is glucose around, it would rather use that because it doesn't need to make a bunch of extra enzymes to do so, so even if there is lactose around but lots of glucose, the bacteria doesn't need to waste energy making all the extra stuff required to metabolize lactose. It only activates this operon when lactose is the only source of energy around.
That's how you talk to a 2 year old? 👎 :laugh:

jk
 
When I have kids, they'll know biochemistry before they start kindergarten 😉

interesting sidenote:
i was tutoring some spanish speaking people in physiology yesterday and i was wondering what a good mnemonic would be to remember Parvicellular neurons.
*these are the neurons that make all the releasing hormones from the hypothalamus and travel in the portal to the pit. gland.*
anyways, turns out, "parvolito" or something like that, means kindergartener!
this helped them contrast these small baby neurons against the big ones going to the post. pit gland (magnocellular).
i love understanding where names come from. im gonna speak spanish like a gringo one day...
 
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