What do introns in a gene represent?

Introns represent non-coding regions within a gene. In eukaryotic genes, introns are segments of DNA that are transcribed into precursor mRNA but are removed during the RNA splicing process before the mRNA is translated into a protein. This means that while introns are part of the initial mRNA transcript, they do not contribute to the final amino acid sequence of the protein.

In contrast, exons are the coding regions that remain in the mRNA and are translated into the corresponding protein. The role of introns in gene regulation and expression remains an area of research, but they may also play roles in alternative splicing, allowing for the production of multiple protein variants from a single gene. Understanding the function and characteristics of introns is essential for comprehending the complexities of gene expression and the overall architecture of eukaryotic genomes.