Library · Genetics
Chromosome
Make it clearer
A chromosome is the compact form in which DNA is stored inside the cell nucleus. Picture an extremely long thread that could not simply be left loose in such a small space.
To organize it, DNA coils again and again around proteins called histones, like thread wound around many supports. This packaged structure is the chromosome. It is not separate from DNA; it is DNA organized with those proteins.
In brief
A chromosome is a structure that stores DNA compactly inside a cell's nucleus. It is not something separate from DNA, but rather an organized way of packaging it so that it fits into a small space.
This packaging occurs because DNA, which can be pictured as a very long thread, coils again and again around proteins called histones. A chromosome is the structure created by this organization of DNA and histones.
Sources (1)
- MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of MedicineWhat is a chromosome?Published
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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