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The genomes of most eukaryotic mitochondria and plastids are in a single circular chromosome, in line with their bacterial ancestor. However, a good number of eukaryotic species do harbor linear Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), some even broken into multiple molecules, across a wide variety of taxa: animals (mammals, medusozoans, sponges), fungi (especially yeast), plants, and Alveolatas.
By contrast, eukaryotic DNA is linear. When replicated, there are as many as one thousand origins of replication. [155] Eukaryotic DNA is bidirectional. Here the meaning of the word bidirectional is different. Eukaryotic linear DNA has many origins (called O) and termini (called T). "T" is present to the right of "O".
Chromosomes contain long strands of DNA containing genetic information. Compared to prokaryotic chromosomes, eukaryotic chromosomes are much larger in size and are linear chromosomes. Eukaryotic chromosomes are also stored in the cell nucleus, while chromosomes of prokaryotic cells are not stored in a nucleus. Eukaryotic chromosomes require a ...
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.
Eukaryotes initiate DNA replication at multiple points in the chromosome, so replication forks meet and terminate at many points in the chromosome. Because eukaryotes have linear chromosomes, DNA replication is unable to reach the very end of the chromosomes. Due to this problem, DNA is lost in each replication cycle from the end of the chromosome.
Eukaryotic genomes are composed of one or more linear DNA chromosomes. The number of chromosomes varies widely from Jack jumper ants and an asexual nemotode, [35] which each have only one pair, to a fern species that has 720 pairs. [36] It is surprising the amount of DNA that eukaryotic genomes contain compared to other genomes.
Mitochondria are essentially universal in the eukaryotes, and with their own DNA somewhat resemble prokaryotic cells. Mitochondria are organelles in eukaryotic cells. The mitochondrion is commonly called "the powerhouse of the cell", [30] for its function providing energy by oxidising sugars or fats to produce the energy-storing molecule ATP.
DNA usually occurs as linear chromosomes in eukaryotes, and circular chromosomes in prokaryotes. The set of chromosomes in a cell makes up its genome; the human genome has approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA arranged into 46 chromosomes. [96] The information carried by DNA is held in the sequence of pieces of DNA called genes.