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