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Structure

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Chromosomes are formed by an impressive degree of superstructure formation:

  • the DNA double helix winds around histone proteins to form nucleosomes
  • multiple nucleosomes associate with each other along the DNA chain to form a chromatin fibre
  • the chromatin fibre folds upon itself perpendicularly to an acidic protein strand to from heterochromatin
  • heterochromatin coils into a strand to from a chromosome

Further, the chromosome can divide longitudinally to form chromatids. Chromatids are initially joined by a centromere. Telomeres are found at the end of chromosomes.

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