Question

What is Chromosome? Draw a labelled diagram of structure of Eulcaryotic Chromosome.

Answer 1

The chromosome is the condensed and compactly arranged structure of the DNA with the help of histone proteins H1, H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. This is the structure which can be visible during the metaphase of cell division. This condensed packing allows the long DNA in the eukaryotes to be packed in the nucleus of the cell.

There are two arms known as the p-arm and the q-arm. There is a constriction which is known as the centromere where the kinetochore is formed for the attachment of the spindle fibres during the cell division. The position of the centromere decides the type of the chromosome as metacentric, submetacentric, acrocentric and telocentric. There is telomere at the end of te arm which are highly condensed regions like the centromere. There are high condensed heterochromatin and less condensed euchromatin regions.