Biology Assignment 2: Beta-Galactosidase Activity and Gene Regulation

This biology assignment explores the induction process of transcription, focusing on the lac operon and the enzyme beta-galactosidase. The assignment details the biochemical function of beta-galactosidase in lactose metabolism, explaining how the lac operon is regulated through the interaction of lacZ, lacY, lacA genes, and regulatory DNA sequences. It defines IPTG as an inducer and chloramphenicol as an antibiotic, detailing their roles in the experiment. The methodology involves culturing E. coli and measuring beta-galactosidase activity under various conditions, including lactose, IPTG, glucose, glycerol, and chloramphenicol induction. Results showed that IPTG and lactose increased beta-galactosidase production, while chloramphenicol inhibited it. The assignment discusses the biochemical principles behind the results and potential applications of beta-galactosidase in the food and dairy industries. The assignment concludes that the production of beta-galactosidase is increased with the addition of IPTG and lactose irrespective of the time and is slowed down when substances such as glucose, glycerol, and chloraphelonic are used depending on the time allowed for the experiment.