This document discusses gene regulation through operons such as the lac, ara, and trp operons. It describes operons as units of coordinate gene expression that include structural genes and regulatory elements. Operons are regulated by repressor proteins that bind to the operator region and control transcription. There are two types of negative gene regulation: repressible operons where a repressor protein binds the operator to shut off transcription, and inducible operons where binding of an inducer inactivates the repressor and turns on transcription. Common mutations in regulated operons include constitutive mutations where genes are always transcribed and uninducible mutations where expression cannot be induced. IPTG is described as a gratuitous inducer that mim