Operons are regulators of structural gene function. Describe a hypothetical inducible operon that would turn on a human structural gene for chocolatase, but only when chocolate interacts with saliva in your mouth. Explain why your most recent urinary tract infection did not get better after you took the same antibiotic that cured it the last time. Both infections cultured the same species of bacteria. Oncogenes are regulatory genes that are associated with cancer.
Conjugation is only possible with closely related species of bacteria.
The bacterial family, Enterobacteriaceae, is composed of a large number of genera that commonly inhabit the human gut. There are also some pathogens of the GI tract that are in this bacterial family. Describe how conjugation might turn nonpathogenic bacteria into pathogens. You have accidentally dropped your plastic toothbrush in the toilet. You have a vaginal discharge and you are worried about gonorrhea.