Dairy Products and Lactose and Lactase in Humans

Question

Dairy Products
Source of protein and minerals
Contain lactose
Lactose and Lactase in Humans
An enzyme, lactase, breaks lactose down in the body.
Some people do not produce enough lactase.
Too little lactase causes abdominal pain when dairy is eaten.
A gene controls lactase production.
Based on this information, which hypothesis best predicts how a change to the gene could affect people who do not produce enough lactase? M. A change that causes the gene to increase the amount of lactase it produces will increase a person's ability to break down lactose.
P. A change that causes the gene to decrease the amount of lactase it produces will positively affect a person's body.
R. A change that causes the gene to increase the amount of lactase it produces will allow a person to consume large amounts of minerals.
A change that causes the gene to decrease the amount of lactase it produces will allow a person to digest more protein.

Answer 1

The hypothesis that best predicts how a change to the gene could affect people who do not produce enough lactase is:

M. A change that causes the gene to increase the amount of lactase it produces will increase a person's ability to break down lactose.

This hypothesis directly addresses the problem of insufficient lactase production in individuals who experience abdominal pain when consuming dairy products. By increasing lactase production, individuals would likely have a better capability to digest lactose, alleviating the associated discomfort.