Question

What do we mean by housekeeping genes?

(a) Housekeeping genes are those genes which are specific to an organism

(b) Housekeeping genes are those genes which are present in all the organisms

(c) Housekeeping genes are those genes which are meant for repair and maintenance in a species of organism

(d) Housekeeping genes are those genes which required for the replication process

I have been asked this question in an interview for internship.

Origin of the question is Cloning the cDNA and Specialized Libraries in section Libraries Construction of Genetic Engineering

Answer 1

Correct choice is (b) Housekeeping genes are those genes which are present in all the organisms

The explanation is: Housekeeping genes are those genes which are present in all the organisms. cDNA libraries may therefore contain housekeeping genes and genes specific to that organism.