Question

State whether the following statement is true or false.

All the structural genes of the operon are transcribed on a single long mRNA.

Answer 1

This statement is true.

Explanation:

In a prokaryotic operon, all the structural genes are transcribed by a single RNA polymerase into one continuous piece of mRNA, known as polycistronic mRNA. This single transcript contains the instructions for multiple different proteins that usually function together in the same metabolic pathway. This arrangement allows the bacterium to coordinate the production of related enzymes simultaneously, ensuring they are all turned “on” or “off” as a single unit.