Chromosomes

Biology
K. Beris

DNA is a long thin molecule that stores genetic information.

It consists of 6 billion pairs of nucleotides.

Chromosome Structure
During cell division, the DNA in a eukaryotic
cells nucleus is coiled into very compact
structures called chromosomes.
Rod shaped structures made of DNA and protein
DNA coils to make chromosomes
They wrap around histone proteins
Histone proteins help maintain the shape of the
chromosome and aid in the tight packing of DNA
Nonhistone proteins are involved in controlling the
activity of specific regions of the DNA.

Chromosome Structure, cont.

When they undergo cell division, they are
visible as darkened structures inside the
nuclear membrane
Each chromosome consists of two identical
halves
Each half is called a chromatid
Chromatids form as the DNA makes a copy of
itself before cell division
Once the cell divides, each of the two new
cells will receive one chromatid from each
chromosome

Chromosome Structure, cont.

The centromere is the constricted area of each
chromatid
It holds the two chromatids together until they
separate during cell division
They help in the movement of chromosomes during
cell division
In between cell divisions, DNA is not tightly coiled into
chromosomes. Regions of DNA uncoil in between cell division
so they can be read and so the information can be used to
direct the activities of the cell.

The less tightly coiled DNA-protein complex is called

chromatin

Chromosome Structure, cont.

Chromosomes are simpler in prokaryotes than in
eukaryotes
Prokaryotes have one chromosome attached to the
cell membrane
They have a circular DNA
DNA must be compact to fit in the cell

Chromosome Numbers
Each species has a characteristic number of
chromosomes in each cell
Sex chromosomes and autosomes
Human and animal chromosomes are categorized as
either sex chromosomes or autosomes
Sex chromosomes determine the sex of an
organism
They carry genes for other characteristics

In humans, sex chromosomes are either X or Y

Normal females have two X chromosomes (XX)
Normal males have one X and one Y (XY)

Chromosome Numbers
All other chromosomes in an organism are called
autosomes
Two of the 46 human chromosomes are sex
chromosomes while the remaining 44
chromosomes are autosomes
Each cell of an organism produced by sexual
reproduction has two copies of each autosome
One from each parent

Chromosome Numbers
Two copies of each autosome are called
homologous chromosome or homologues
They are the same size and shape and carry genes
for the same traits
Karyotypes display homologous chromosomes in a
photomicrograph of the chromosomes in a dividing
cell found in a normal human
The 46 chromosomes exist as 22 homologous pairs of
autosomes and two sex chromosomes

Diploid and Haploid Cells

Diploidcells that have two sets of chromosomes
for each homologous pair
This includes two sex chromosomes in animals
All normal human cells, except reproductive cells
(sperm cells and egg cells) are diploid
Denoted by 2n
In humans, a diploid number, 2n, is 46, that is 22
pairs of homologous chromosomes and 2 sex
chromosomes

Chromosome Numbers
Haploidcells that contain only one set of
chromosomes such as human sperm and egg
cells
These cells contain half the number of chromosomes
that are present in diploid cells
In humans, a haploid number, 1n, has one
chromosome of each homologous pair and only
one sex chromosome
Sperm cells are 1n
Egg cells are 1n
Both combine to form 2n (diploid)when a new
organism is formed
If each were diploid from the start, each new cell
would have too many chromosomes and would not
be functional