Gene expression refers to the control of the amount and timing of gene products. It involves two main steps - transcription of DNA into RNA, and translation of RNA into proteins. In prokaryotes, transcription factors bind to DNA to control transcription from operons, groups of genes regulated together. The lac operon and trp operon are examples where repressor proteins bind the operator DNA sequence to block transcription unless an inducer is present. In eukaryotes, gene expression is controlled at the transcription and translation stages to regulate which mRNAs are produced and what final proteins result.