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AAT Bioquest

What do chromosomes look like?

Posted January 11, 2023


Answer

Structurally, chromosomes look like fine threads. Chromosome proteins called histones wrap DNA up in a spool-like manner so that they are condensed, compact, and small enough to fit into the cell. An unwrapped DNA would measure six feet from one end to end, which would be too long to fit into the cell.

Additional resources

Organization of Chromosomal DNA by SMC Complexes

DNA and RNA Quantitation

Helixyte™ Green Fluorimetric Total Nucleic Acid Quantitation Kit *Optimized for Microplate Readers*