• Question: What happens when you switch plant genes on and off?

    Asked by to Jennifer on 24 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Jennifer Stephens

      Jennifer Stephens answered on 24 Jun 2014:

      Hi amostafa

      When you switch a gene on it tells the cells to make a protein. There’s lots of genes that make lots of proteins and they all do different things. Some of them are structural proteins so they help build strong cell walls etc, others help the plants photosynthesis. Proteins are the building blocks that are used in all the processes that go on inside a living organism – plants, animals and humans.

      If you switch a gene off it means one of these proteins won’t be made. This may have a knock on effect, if that protein is needed to make something vital to the plants. In other cases the effect might be so subtle that you don’t really notice a different.

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