Hox genes are regulatory genes in multicellular animals that code for transcription factors that determine the basic body plan in a developing embryo. They act as switches that turn other genes on and off. Scientists have found that a mutation in a fruit fly hox gene produces flies with legs instead of antennae sticking out of their heads. Another hox gene mutation results in fruit flies with two pairs of wings instead of one pair. Hox genes affect body plans by controlling the expression of many other genes.
Many multicellular animals have the same hox genes. Which statement is evidence for this claim?
1 answer
The statement "Scientists have found that a mutation in a fruit fly hox gene produces flies with legs instead of antennae sticking out of their heads. Another hox gene mutation results in fruit flies with two pairs of wings instead of one pair." is evidence for the claim that many multicellular animals have the same hox genes. This is because fruit flies are multicellular animals, indicating that they possess hox genes. Additionally, the fact that these specific hox gene mutations result in similar changes in body plan (i.e. legs instead of antennae and two pairs of wings instead of one) suggests that there is a similarity in the function and regulation of hox genes across different multicellular animals.