Chromosome

In the nucleus of each cell, the DNA molecule is packaged into thread-like structures called chromosomes. Each chromosome is made up of DNA tightly coiled many times around proteins called histones that support its structure.

What is a Chromosome?

Chromosomes are the basic building blocks of life where the entire genome of an organism is essentially organized and stored in the form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) which is present inside every cell making up that organism. A chromosome is a single chain of DNA that is coiled and super coiled to form dense thread-like pieces. The term chromosome is derived from the Greek words "chroma" or color and "some" or body and is so named because chromosomes have the ability to be stained with dyes.

Chromosome History

Chromosomes in Eukaryotes

Chromosomes in Prokaryotes

Chromosome Karyotype

Human Chromosomes

Chromosomal Abnormalities

Common Chromosomal Disorders (Chromosomes 1-5 and X and Y)

What is Chromosome 1?

What is Chromosome 2?

What is Chromosome 3?

What is Chromosome 4?

See more featured articles »

What is Chromosome 5?

What is the X Chromosome?

What is the Y Chromosome?

Latest Chromosome News and Research

Study explores how sex chromosomes and hormones influence immune responses

Women have a higher proportion of key immune cells between puberty and menopause, which may be linked to the sex hormone estrogen and explain why they are less susceptible to certain infectious diseases than men, according to a new study led by researchers at UCL.

27 Mar 2025

New chromatin tracing method unlocks DNA looping process in high resolution

Among the many marvels of life is the cell's ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves.

24 Mar 2025

People from families with exceptional longevity have lower risk of peripheral artery disease

A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) on February 25, 2025, Volume 17, Issue 2, titled "Epidemiology and genetic determination of measures of peripheral vascular health in the Long Life Family Study."

12 Mar 2025

Study uncovers how transposons use telomeres for survival in bacteria

Transposons, or "jumping genes" – DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another – are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance.

7 Mar 2025

Researchers discover why scleroderma affects women more than men

Two new studies led by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have uncovered key biological mechanisms driving systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma – a rare and often devastating autoimmune disease that causes fibrosis (tissue hardening) and inflammation.

6 Mar 2025

Study reveals how silent X chromosome enhances female brain resilience

In a surprise, work in mice has found that the dormant X chromosome in females can reawaken late in life and turn on genes that keep the brain healthy.

6 Mar 2025

Lactylation in the heart reveals key insights into cardiac regeneration

This study is led by Dr. Xiaodong Luan (Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital), Dr. Shuyang Zhang (Department of Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital) and Dr. He Huang (Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences).

28 Feb 2025

Advancements in molecular diagnostics for hematopoietic and lymphocytic neoplasms

Hematopoietic and lymphocytic neoplasms (HLNs) are a diverse group of malignancies affecting blood and lymphatic systems, with outcomes varying from manageable conditions to fatal diseases.

27 Feb 2025

Discovery paves way for new hepatitis B treatment

In their effort to answer a decades-old biological question about how the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is able to establish infection of liver cells, research led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Weill Cornell Medicine, and The Rockefeller University identified a vulnerability that opens the door to new treatments.

22 Feb 2025

Breakthrough discovery unveils potential treatment for hepatitis B

In their effort to answer a decades-old biological question about how the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is able to establish infection of liver cells, research led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University identified a vulnerability that opens the door to new treatments.

20 Feb 2025

Genetic mutation linked to schizophrenia in both humans and mice

A genetic mutation found in two human patients with schizophrenia also increased schizophrenia-related behaviors in mice with the same mutation, a rare finding of a direct genetic link to psychosis, report researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and colleagues in Massachusetts and Germany.

19 Feb 2025

Drinking more water may lower heart disease risk, but too much coffee and tea could raise it

Drinking water may help reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, while excessive coffee and tea intake (≥6 cups/day) increases the likelihood of CVD, with stronger effects in women.

19 Feb 2025

Gene editing shows promise for treating trisomy at cellular level

Gene editing techniques may eventually allow trisomy to be treated at the cellular level, according to an in vitro proof-of-concept study.

18 Feb 2025

ChromTR revolutionizes chromosome detection in metaphase cell images

ChromTR, a cutting-edge framework for chromosome detection in metaphase cell images, represents a significant advancement in the field of cytogenetics.

17 Feb 2025

Researchers identify genetic cause of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor Genetics and collaborating institutions provided a long-awaited and rare genetic diagnosis in a child with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a type of developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), associated with a severe, complex form of epilepsy and developmental delay.

14 Feb 2025

New biomarker can accurately predict outcomes in meningiomas and breast cancers

Using a new technology and computational method, researchers from Fred Hutch Cancer Center and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have uncovered a biomarker capable of accurately predicting outcomes in meningioma brain tumors and breast cancers.

13 Feb 2025