Question

Lac operon is:
A. Arabinose operon
B. Repressible operon
C. Inducible operon
D. Overlapping genes

Answer 1

Hint: An operon is a collection of genes that are collectively transcribed to produce a single messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule that in turn codes for numerous proteins. In prokaryotes, this type of polycistronic mRNA is commonly seen.

Complete step by step solution:
Operon is a bacterial and viral genetic regulation mechanism where genes for functionally similar proteins are grouped together along the DNA. This characteristic enables coordinated control of protein production in response to cellular requirements. Operons are groups of genes that are managed collectively. François Jacob and Jaques Monod first introduced the operon paradigm for regulating bacterial genes using the negatively regulated lactose genes of E. coli as an example.
An operon is made up of structural genes, a promoter, a regulator, and an operator. The regulator gene produces a repressor protein that binds to the operator and prevents the structural genes' promoters from activating their transcription. The regulator does not necessarily need to be close to other operon genes. The operon's genes produce proteins that enable the bacterium to utilize lactose as a fuel source.
Several other enteric bacteria, including E. coli, contain the lac, or lactose, operon. The genes in this operon produce proteins that are responsible for bringing lactose into the cytosol and breaking it down into glucose. It is known as an inducible operon because the lac operon is generally turned off (repressed), but it can be awakened in the presence of the inducer allolactose.
So the correct option is C.
Note:
A group of structural genes called an operon are grouped around a similar promoter and are controlled by the same operator. It is described as a collection of nearby structural genes along with nearby regulatory signals that influence the structure genes' transcription.