Title: The packaging of DNA in eukaryotic chromosomes or how you change this...
1The packaging of DNA in eukaryotic
chromosomesor how you change this...
The length of DNA in one chromosome
4 cm
into this...
Too small to show the real size, but you could
fit 10,000 along the length of a fingernail!
0.2-2 µm
2Link to 3D animation of the packaging of DNA into
chromosomes
3Level 1 Nucleosomes or beads on a string
Linker DNA
Histone proteins form a complex
4Level 2 Chromatin fibre
Nucleosomes coil and stack
5Level 3 Looped fibres
Chromatin fibre loops along the protein scaffold
Protein scaffold
6Level 4 More folds to make the most compacted
chromosome
Looped chromatin fibre folds
The most condensed form of DNA packaging during
metaphase. Replication has just occurred so the
image shows two chromatids