STRUCTURE OF A CHROMOSOME
Chromosomes
● carriers of genes
● Carry all information that makes organisms what they are
● unit determiners of hereditary characteristics
● Found tightly packed in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells
● From the greek word chroma - color, and soma - body
● found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells
histones - structural proteins which are shaped like a ball
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid; the genetic material
sister chromatids - are double stranded chromosomes; joined or detach by a
centromere
Centromere - pinched area in the pair of chromatids that divides them into sections
called arms. Within the centromere is a part called kinetochore that attaches to the
spindle fibers during cell division
p arm- short arm (petite)
q arm - long arm
autosomes - chromosome numbers 1 to 22 are the body chromosomes
Different Types of Centromere Along the Entire Length of the Chromosomes
- Telocentric, acrocentric, submetacentric. metacentric
The normal human somatic cells have 46 chromosomes. 22 pairs (44) of
autosomes and 1 pair (two) sex chromosomes
- chromosome number varies depending on the species and is crucial to the
survival of species
Chromosomes
● carriers of genes
● Carry all information that makes organisms what they are
● unit determiners of hereditary characteristics
● Found tightly packed in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells
● From the greek word chroma - color, and soma - body
● found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells
histones - structural proteins which are shaped like a ball
DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid; the genetic material
sister chromatids - are double stranded chromosomes; joined or detach by a
centromere
Centromere - pinched area in the pair of chromatids that divides them into sections
called arms. Within the centromere is a part called kinetochore that attaches to the
spindle fibers during cell division
p arm- short arm (petite)
q arm - long arm
autosomes - chromosome numbers 1 to 22 are the body chromosomes
Different Types of Centromere Along the Entire Length of the Chromosomes
- Telocentric, acrocentric, submetacentric. metacentric
The normal human somatic cells have 46 chromosomes. 22 pairs (44) of
autosomes and 1 pair (two) sex chromosomes
- chromosome number varies depending on the species and is crucial to the
survival of species
