[Campbell Biology P.506] Based on Figure 21.15 c , what do the yellow highlights and dashes ... | Practice Question

Based on Figure 21.15 c , what do the yellow highlights and dashes in the amino acid sequence alignment of lysozyme and α-lactalbumin represent?

  • A: Yellow highlights indicate identical amino acids, and dashes represent gaps introduced for optimal alignment.
  • B: Yellow highlights indicate structurally similar amino acids, and dashes represent deletions.
  • C: Yellow highlights indicate variable regions, and dashes represent insertions.
  • D: Yellow highlights indicate conserved active sites, and dashes represent sequence errors.

Explanation

The caption for Figure 21.15 explicitly states: "Identical amino acids are highlighted in yellow, and dashes indicate gaps in one sequence that have been introduced by the software to optimize the alignment."