Mitosis
Mitosis
Mitosis
What is Euchromatin?
•Contains active DNA because the less condensed steric conformation makes
DNA accessible for transcription
•Lighter on EM
What is Chromosome?
A denser packaging of chromatin that only becomes visible under the microscope during cell
division (especially in metaphase)
Chromosomes
•Chromosome: a structure found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells that
contains nucleic acids and associated proteins (e.g., nucleosomes)
• Contains part or all of the genetic information for a given organism
• Each human cell contains 23 pairs of homologous
chromosomes (corresponding in structure and genetic information,
i.e., 23 chromosomes are inherited from each parent).
• Germ cells only carry one-half of a somatic cell's chromosomes.
• Can be visualized under a microscope during metaphase
•Chromatid: one of the two identical strands of a replicated chromosome
•Sister chromatids: two identical chromatids joined at the centromere (i.e., the duplicated
chromosome)
•Centromere: a condensed region of chromosomes where sister chromatids join
• Divides the chromatids into a short p arm and a long q arm
• Mediates attachment of the chromosome to the meiotic or mitotic spindle.
• Depending on the centromere position, a chromosome can be:
• Metacentric: The p and q arms are of approximately identical length.
• Submetacentric: The p arm is short and the q arm is long.
• Acrocentric: The p arm is much shorter than the q arm.
•Kinetochore: a protein complex found at the centromere that allows for the attachment of
mitotic spindle microtubules during mitosis
•Telomere
• Repetitive, noncoding DNA sequence at the ends of each chromosome, which prevents the
loss of coding DNA sequences during DNA replication
• Telomere shortening occurs after each cell division, which can reduce a cell's life span.
Interphase
•Definition: the interval between cell divisions in which the cell prepares for the next division
•Duration: variable
•3 phases of interphase (excluding the G0 phase)