When we say a gene is expressing itself, what does "gene expression" mean in relation to protein synthesis?
- Gene expression is relative to protein synthesis wherein, the gene encodes proteins and proteins dictate cell function. Therefore, the thousands of genes expressed in a particular cell determine what that cell can do. Additionally, the cell can potentially regulate each stage of the informational chain from DNA to RNA to protein by altering the amount and kinds of proteins it produces. This allows the cell to self-regulate its process. At some point, other people often thought of this as a relatively similar process because the protein product is typically produced after a gene is expressed.