Chapter 17, Problem 3TY

Summary Introduction

Introduction:

The human genome is packed inside the nucleus of the cell. It is made up of double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) folded in a helical manner. DNA is negatively charged and is wrapped around histone proteins that are positively charged. Histone proteins further form an octameric structure known as the nucleosome. The genome is usually in chromatin form and is not visible, but at the time of cell division it condenses to form X shaped structures known as chromosomes. The number of chromosomes varies from organism to organism. The smallest functional unit of the genome is known as a gene. Genes code for proteins that help the organism function.