Refer to the table showing transposable elements that have been inserted into various genes (labeled A-E).(Note: "x" indicates the genes that have been knocked out in each experiment, "+" indicates that the bacteria can grow, and "-" indicates that the bacteria cannot grow.) Which gene is an essential gene?
A) Gene A
B) Gene B
C) Gene C
D) Gene D
E) Gene E

Question

Refer to the table showing transposable elements that have been inserted into various genes (labeled A-E).(Note: "x" indicates the genes that have been knocked out in each experiment, "+" indicates that the bacteria can grow, and "-" indicates that the bacteria cannot grow.)  Which gene is an essential gene?
A) Gene A 
B) Gene B 
C) Gene C 
D) Gene D 
E) Gene E

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gene B is an essential gene because the insertion of each transposable element into it resulted in the bacteria being unable to grow. This suggests that gene B is necessary for bacterial growth and survival. In contrast, the other genes (A, C, D, and E) had at least one insertion where the bacteria were still able to grow, indicating that they are not essential genes.

Refer to the Table Showing Transposable Elements That Have Been