What are chromosomes?

Some people are interested in what chromosomes are. Chromosomes are structures of high condensation of an extremely long strand of DNA in eukaryotic cells (all living organisms other than bacteria and viruses). Chromosomes carry genetic information, determine the hereditary properties of organisms.

In the chromosome, such functionalsites like telomeres (shoulders of the chromosome) and centromere. Also on the chromosomes there are points of initiation of replication (ORI points), from which the reading of genetic information by proteins begins. Depending on the length of the arms of the chromosomes and the location of the centromeres, acrocentric (centromere at the end), submetacentric (telomeres not equal in length), metacentric (centromere divides the chromosome into almost equal shoulders) of the chromosome are distinguished.

About how many chromosomes in the human body, you can read in our article How many chromosomes a person has.