lactose operon

The lactose operon is a gene system in bacteria that controls how they break down milk sugar (lactose). When lactose is present, it activates the operon by turning on specific genes, producing enzymes needed for digestion. When lactose is absent, the operon is turned off to save energy. This regulation is managed by a repressor protein that blocks the genes unless lactose binds to it, removing the block. This process allows bacteria to efficiently respond to their environment by producing enzymes only when needed, optimizing their resources.