What term refers to the process by which a gene's code becomes its final product?

• A. Gene expression
• B. Mutation
• C. Gene mutation
• D. Silent mutation

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is gene expression—the process by which a gene’s coded information is turned into a functional product. In cells, this typically means first reading the DNA sequence to make a copy called messenger RNA (transcription), and then using that RNA to build a product, usually a protein (translation). Sometimes the final product is a functional RNA molecule rather than a protein, but in all cases the gene’s information is being used to create something that can perform a job in the cell. The other terms refer to changes in the DNA itself: a mutation is any change in the DNA sequence, a gene mutation is a mutation specifically within a gene, and a silent mutation is a DNA change that doesn’t alter the final protein produced. Gene expression is the process that explains how a gene becomes its final product.