Video narration
So if lactose is present, is the Lac operon really fully ON? In E. coli, its three structural genes make three different proteins: lacZ makes beta-galactosidase, which splits lactose into glucose and galactose; lacY makes permease, helping lactose enter the cell; and lacA makes transacetylase, linked to detoxifying some galactosides. When lactose is absent, the repressor binds the operator, like a lock blocking the doorway, and stops transcription. When lactose is present, its derivative allolactose binds the repressor and inactivates it. The operator is no longer blocked, so RNA polymerase can transcribe the structural genes. The Lac operon is inducible: allolactose can switch transcription on. But here's the catch: permission to transcribe does not mean maximum expression. For maximum expression, glucose must also be low. So, no: allolactose removes repression, but low glucose is needed for maximum expression.