Chromosomes

Chromosomes

A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.

Histones

Any of a group of basic proteins found in chromatin.

Sister chromatids

Sister chromatids are two identical copies of the same chromosome formed by DNA replication, attached to each other by a structure called the centromere. During cell division, they are separated from each other, and each daughter cell receives one copy of the chromosome.

Centromere

Region of a chromosome where the two sister chromatids attach

Homologous chromosomes

Pair of chromosomes that are the same size, same appearance and same genes.

Karyotype

the number and visual appearance of the chromosomes in the cell nuclei of an organism or species.

Gene

a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Autosomes

Any chromosome that is not a sex chromosome

Sex chromosomes

Chromosomes that determine the sex of an individual