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Chromatin is a complex of DNA and protein found in eukaryotic cells. [1] The primary function is to package long DNA molecules into more compact, denser structures. This prevents the strands from becoming tangled and also plays important roles in reinforcing the DNA during cell division , preventing DNA damage , and regulating gene expression ...
Examples of different levels of nuclear architecture. Nuclear organization refers to the spatial organization and dynamics of chromatin within a cell nucleus during interphase. There are many different levels and scales of nuclear organization. At the smallest scale, DNA is packaged into units called nucleosomes, which compacts DNA about 7-fold.
Packaging of nucleosomes into higher order chromatin structures involves the use of loops and coils. In eukaryotes, such as humans, roughly 3.2 billion nucleotides are spread out over 23 different chromosomes (males have both an X chromosome and a Y chromosome instead of a pair of X chromosomes as seen in females). Each chromosome consists ...
Organization of DNA in a eukaryotic cell. Each eukaryotic chromosome consists of a long linear DNA molecule associated with proteins, forming a compact complex of proteins and DNA called chromatin. Chromatin contains the vast majority of the DNA in an organism, but a small amount inherited maternally can be found in the mitochondria.
In contrast to most eukaryotic cells, mature sperm cells largely use protamines to package their genomic DNA, most likely to achieve an even higher packaging ratio. [17] Histone equivalents and a simplified chromatin structure have also been found in Archaea, [18] suggesting that eukaryotes are not the only organisms that use nucleosomes.
Basic units of chromatin structure. Histone H2B is a structural protein that helps organize eukaryotic DNA. [5] It plays an important role in the biology of the nucleus where it is involved in the packaging and maintaining of chromosomes, [5] regulation of transcription, and replication and repair of DNA. [2]
During the cell division, chromatin compaction increases even more to form chromosomes, which can cope with large mechanical forces dragging them into each of the two daughter cells. [1] Many aspects of transcription are controlled by chemical modification on the histone proteins, known as the histone code .
Within chromosomes, DNA is held in complexes with structural proteins. These proteins organize the DNA into a compact structure called chromatin. In eukaryotes, this structure involves DNA binding to a complex of small basic proteins called histones. In prokaryotes, multiple types of proteins are involved.