Of the Following, Which is the Most Current Description of a Gene

Question

Of the following, which is the most current description of a gene?
A) a unit of heredity that causes formation of a phenotypic characteristic
B) a DNA subunit that codes for a single complete protein
C) a DNA sequence that is expressed to form a functional product: either RNA or polypeptide
D) a DNA-RNA sequence combination that results in an enzymatic product
E) a discrete unit of hereditary information that consists of a sequence of amino acids

Accepted Answer

The most current description of a gene is that it is a DNA sequence that is expressed to form a functional product, which can be either RNA or polypeptide. This definition takes into account the fact that some genes code for non-protein products, such as functional RNAs, and that a single gene can give rise to multiple protein variants through alternative splicing or other mechanisms. Options A, B, and E are outdated or incomplete descriptions of genes, while option D is incorrect because enzymatic products can be produced by proteins encoded by genes, but genes themselves do not typically result in enzymatic products.