Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: DNA carries all the genetic information that controls how a living organism looks and functions.Given that a single strand of DNA is about 2 m long, how can it fit into the nucleus of a cell which has a diameter of only 0.01 mm?Well, we have chromatin to thank for that.THE TWO FUNCTIONS OF CHROMATIN In cell nuclei, DNA molecules are not 'naked' but are found tightly wrapped around a molecule of histone protein.This subunit, comprising DNA wound around a histone core, is known as a nucleosome, and chromatin is composed of many combined nucleosomes.In this way, chromatin fulfils its function of DNA packaging, allowing 2 m of DNA to fit into a tiny cell nucleus.Chromatin also has the function of transcription regulation.When DNA molecules are wrapped around a histone core, TALK LIKE A STRUCTURAL BIOLOGIST CHROMATIN -a DNA-protein complex found in the nucleus of a cell CHROMATOGRAPHY -a process used to separate the components of a mixture DNA -a molecule containing all the genetic information about an organism ELECTRON MICROSCOPE -a microscope that produces images of very small objects by firing electrons at them EUCHROMATIN -the transcriptionally active form of chromatin HETEROCHROMATIN -the transcriptionally repressive form of chromatin HISTONE -a protein around which DNA is wrapped LESION -a damaged section of DNA NUCLEOSOME -the subunit of chromatin, composed of DNA wrapped around a histone core TRANSCRIPTION -the process by which genes are copied from DNA
Source: Futurum Careers
DOI: 10.33424/futurum239
Author: Dongyan Tan
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4226227434