In eukaryotes, what allows only certain genes to be expressed in different types of cells?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that eukaryotic cells contain the same DNA in all cell types, but different cells express different genes.
2. Learn about gene regulation, which is the process that controls which genes are turned on or off in the genome.
3. Identify the role of transcription factors, which are proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences, thereby controlling the transfer (or transcription) of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA.
4. Explore the concept of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, which alter the physical structure of DNA and can turn genes on or off without changing the DNA sequence.
5. Examine how signaling pathways can affect gene expression by activating or inhibiting transcription factors and other proteins involved in gene regulation.