D1.2.16 (HL)—Alternative splicing
Alternative splicing allows different exon combinations from one transcript to generate multiple mature mRNAs and protein variants in eukaryotic cells.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2025
- Objective
- D1.2.16
- Level
- HL
Exam analysis
Chance of appearing2%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceNovember 2020
Most common paperPaper1
Typical marks1
Scoring notes
- Common mistake
- Assuming one gene can produce only one protein product in all circumstances.
Recent exam appearances
November 2020Paper1 ["HL"] · TZ026[ 1 ]D1.2.16 (HL)—Alternative splicing
November 2016Paper1 ["HL"] · TZ028[ 1 ]D1.2.16 (HL)—Alternative splicing
Practice this objective
Coverage 2016–2020 · Updated 16 Jul 2026
Concept essentials
- Alternative splicing joins different exon combinations.
- One pre-mRNA can produce multiple mature mRNAs.
- A single gene can contribute to several protein variants.
- Alternative splicing helps the proteome exceed the number of protein-coding genes.