Let’s learn about...

Chromatin

Chromosomes

DNA
The human body is made up of
approximately 40-50 trillion cells.

The genetic material in the nucleus of

each cell is seen as thread-like structures
called chromatin.
During cell division, chromatin gets
arranged in the form of organised
condensed structures called
chromosomes.
DISCOVERY OF CHROMOSOMES

Walther Flemming (1882) discovered

chromosomes in the rapidly dividing cells
of the larvae of salamander.
STRUCTURE OF CHROMOSOME
QUICK CHECK
Q. Duplicated chromosomes are joined at
a point termed:

A. Centriole

B. Centromere

C. Centrosome

D. Chromatid
Q. Duplicated chromosomes are joined at
a point termed:

A. Centriole

B. Centromere

C. Centrosome

D. Chromatid
Q. The cell component visible only
during cell division:

A. Chromosome

B. Chromatin

C. Mitochondria

D. Cell membrane
Q. The cell component visible only
during cell division:

A. Chromosome

B. Chromatin

C. Mitochondria

D. Cell membrane
Biochemically, chromatin is made up of a
substance called DNA (Deoxyribonucleic
acid).
If you unwound all the DNA in a single
cell, it would form a string that’s around
2.2 metres long!
If all the DNA in your body was put
end to end, it would reach to the sun
and back over 600 times (100 trillion
times six feet divided by 92 million
miles).
H ow does the cell manage to
store so much??
DNA molecules are arranged with histone
proteins.

Histone proteins are excellent

packaging experts!
Histones are organised to form a unit of eight
protein subunits to form a histone octamer.

DNA is tightly wrapped around the histone

octamer into a structural unit called nucleosome.

Nucleosomes coil up further to form the compact

chromatin.
Structure of DNA
● In a DNA molecule, purines and
pyrimidines are equal in number (a
purine always pairs with a pyrimidine)

● Sugar and phosphate form the

backbone of a DNA molecule
QUICK OVERVIEW
QUICK CHECK
Q. Adenine pairs with

A. Cytosine

B. Guanine

C. Thymine

D. A & B
Q. Adenine pairs with

A. Cytosine

B. Guanine

C. Thymine

D. A & B
Q. Which of these is not part of a
nucleotide?

A. Deoxyribose sugar

B. Phosphate

C. Nitrogen base

D. Ribose sugar
Q. Which of these is not part of a
nucleotide?

A. Deoxyribose sugar

B. Phosphate

C. Nitrogen base

D. Ribose sugar
You now know...

Chromatin

Chromosomes

DNA
Q. If the DNA sequence on one strand read
ACGTTCGAATC, the sequence on the
complementary strand would be _______.
Reach out to me @
amrit.raj@vedantu.com