Chromosomes are the tiny, thread-like structures that carry our genetic material, determining everything from our eye color to our height. They are composed of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and proteins, coiled together to form a compact, thread-like structure, and the coiling pattern of chromosome is what makes genetic material as inaccessible as your phone when biometrics are added: they are even more secure than biometrics.
Humans have 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes, which are 46 individual chromosomes, and they are divided into two categories: autosomal chromosomes and sex chromosomes. Autosomal chromosomes determine our physical traits, while sex chromosomes determine our sex, and they also carry sex-linked characteristics, determining the inheritance pattern in the male progeny when the inherit a dominant gene from the mother.
Chromosomes consist of three main components: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), the genetic material that contains the instructions for our development and function; Histones, Proteins that wrap around the DNA, forming a complex called chromatin; and centromeres, the region near the centre of the chromosome that play a crucial role in cell division. Another essential component of DNA are telomeres, which are like centromeres, but are located and the end sequence of the DNA, serving as an indicator of DNA sequence conclusion, and protects DNA at the tips.
Some functions of chromosomes are: storing of genetic information that is highly inaccessible; cell division, replicating and separating itself, producing two identical cells during mitosis, and four slightly different cells during meiosis; and protein synthesis, by providing the instructions for protein synthesis, this process codes for all proteins that are essential for our growth, development, and function.
Even as they are very vital to high functioning and survival there are still some
abnormalities that occurs, and a common cause of this is known as nondisjunction, where
chromosomes fail to divide at the anaphase stage of either mitosis or meiosis, exposure to
environmental factors and mutations. The abnormalities below are few of the well-known
disorders caused chromosomal errors: Down Syndrome, caused by an extra copy of chromosome
21; Turner Syndrome: caused by the absence of one X chromosome, making an individual with a
supposed female genotype possess some male characteristics more ; and Klinefelter Syndrome,
Caused by an extra X chromosome, making an individual with a supposed male genotype exhibit
some female characteristics more. It is the opposite of Turner syndrome. Environmental factors
and mutations can also be a contributor to the expression of traits that are recessive over time.
To conclude this summary, chromosomes are the tiny, but mighty, structures that carry our
genetic material. They play vital functions such as DNA synthesis and replications, cell division
and protein synthesis. Even as they are beneficial to cell proliferation, division errors can lead to some major abnormalities observed in the human population. However, even with its limitations, chromosomes are still a very essential for our growth and to the expression of the characteristics and traits that are observed on us today.
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