chromosome
Introduction
A rather loosely defined term. The word chromosome comes from the Greek (chroma, color) & (soma, body) due to its strong staining with vital & supravital dyes.
A single large macromolecule of DNA comprising the physically organized form of DNA in a cell. Chromsosomes contain many genes, regulatory elements & other intervening nucleotide sequences. Chromsosomes include the DNA-bound proteins which serve to package & organize the DNA.
Chromosomes vary extensively between different organisms. Eukaryotic cells general have large linear chromosomes. Prokaryotic cells generally have smaller circular chromosomes
The mitochondria in most eukaryotes & chloroplasts in plants have their own small chromosome (see mitochondrial genome) in addition to the nuclear chromosomes.
In eukaryotes nuclear chromosomes are packaged by proteins (especially histones) into chromatin to fit the chromsomes into the nucleus.
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Component of
References
- ↑ Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/chromosome