The material which coils and condenses to form chromosomes is chromatin.
Chromosomes are tiny parts of the human body, smaller than skin cells, blood cells or any other type of cells. They minuscule strands of a substance called DNA, which stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. DNA contains all of the biological information that is required to make a human being, for example, information about eye color, hair color, height and so on. They also contain information about any hereditary diseases that you might encounter later in life, and can give indications of vulnerability to environmentally-caused health problems, such as obesity.
Strands of DNA, or chromosomes, are coiled into a spiral shape, which is now very famous. This spiral shape is known as the double helix, and is one of the most well-recognized images from the field of science.
Each sex cell (that is, the egg in a female and the sperm in a male) contains 23 chromosomes, and when an egg is fertilized, there are a total of 46 chromosomes in the fertilized egg. This set of 46 chromosomes contains the building blocks of information required to make a whole human being. As a result, you inherit half of your genetic make-up from your father, and half from your mother.
Chromatin is the substance found in the nucleus of plant and animal cells. This substance is made up of a number of different components, but the main components are chromosomes and a protein called histone. When cells are dividing during the reproductive process of mitosis, the chromatin substance condenses and forms a coil shape, taking on the form of a chromosome.
Because chromosomes are so tiny, they can only be viewed under a microscope during a specific part of their life cycle known as mitosis. During mitosis, when a cell is splitting, the chromosomes become more tightly packed together, and scientists are able to view them under a microscope.
- What are chromosomes?
Chromosomes are tiny parts of the human body, smaller than skin cells, blood cells or any other type of cells. They minuscule strands of a substance called DNA, which stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. DNA contains all of the biological information that is required to make a human being, for example, information about eye color, hair color, height and so on. They also contain information about any hereditary diseases that you might encounter later in life, and can give indications of vulnerability to environmentally-caused health problems, such as obesity.
Strands of DNA, or chromosomes, are coiled into a spiral shape, which is now very famous. This spiral shape is known as the double helix, and is one of the most well-recognized images from the field of science.
Each sex cell (that is, the egg in a female and the sperm in a male) contains 23 chromosomes, and when an egg is fertilized, there are a total of 46 chromosomes in the fertilized egg. This set of 46 chromosomes contains the building blocks of information required to make a whole human being. As a result, you inherit half of your genetic make-up from your father, and half from your mother.
- What is chromatin?
Chromatin is the substance found in the nucleus of plant and animal cells. This substance is made up of a number of different components, but the main components are chromosomes and a protein called histone. When cells are dividing during the reproductive process of mitosis, the chromatin substance condenses and forms a coil shape, taking on the form of a chromosome.
- Chromatin and chromosomes in research
Because chromosomes are so tiny, they can only be viewed under a microscope during a specific part of their life cycle known as mitosis. During mitosis, when a cell is splitting, the chromosomes become more tightly packed together, and scientists are able to view them under a microscope.
