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.

What is Chromosome 4?

Chromosomes in Prokaryotes

What is Chromosome 1?

What is the X Chromosome?

What is Chromosome 2?

Chromosomal Abnormalities

Chromosome Karyotype

Chromosome History

What is the Y Chromosome?

What is Chromosome 5?

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

See more featured articles »

What is Chromosome 3?

Human Chromosomes

Chromosomes in Eukaryotes

Latest Chromosome News and Research

Study explores how losing the Y chromosome fuels bladder cancer aggressiveness

University of Arizona Cancer Center researchers will study the potential effects of the loss of the Y chromosome in the development and progression of bladder cancer thanks to a grant of up to $6.5 million over seven years from the National Cancer Institute.

14 Oct 2025

Multidimensional regulation of stem cell fate by the cohesin complex

Conventional studies on stem cell fates are primarily focused on transcription factors, with the limited consideration for 3D genome architecture.

10 Oct 2025

Researchers discover how plants produce cancer-fighting mitraphylline

Researchers at UBC Okanagan have uncovered how plants produce mitraphylline, a rare natural compound that may help fight cancer.

8 Oct 2025

How multiple genetic variants shape clinical outcomes in complex disorders

The genetic roots of a disease or disorder do not always grow into clear cut, easily diagnosed clinical features.

7 Oct 2025

Wasatch Biolabs expands service portfolio with Oxford Nanopore assays in Pharmacogenomics, Telomere Sequencing, and mRNA Vaccine Quality Control

Wasatch BioLabs (WBL), a Renew Biotechnologies subsidiary, and the largest U.S. sequencing service provider dedicated exclusively to long-read sequencing, today announced the addition of three Oxford Nanopore-developed research-use-only (RUO) assays to its service portfolio: a Pharmacogenomics (PgX) panel, Telomere Sequencing, and mRNA Vaccine Quality Control.

7 Oct 2025

Why do females live longer in mammals but males in birds?

A global study reveals sexual selection influences life expectancy differences between sexes in mammals and birds, reshaping aging research and public health.

7 Oct 2025

Study reveals new strategy to block TNBC metastasis and restore chromosomal stability

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and hardest forms of breast cancer to treat, but a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine suggests a surprising way to stop it from spreading. Researchers have discovered that an enzyme called EZH2 drives TNBC cells to divide abnormally, which enables them to relocate to distant organs.

6 Oct 2025

Study links high neuroinflammation in young people with Down Syndrome to Alzheimer's risk

Down syndrome is associated with accelerated aging. It is estimated that up to 90% of individuals with the condition develop Alzheimer's disease before the age of 70. A study by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil identified high levels of neuroinflammation in young individuals with Down syndrome, an additional factor explaining the high prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in older people with the condition. The discovery paves the way for strategies to prevent and monitor the disease.

3 Oct 2025

Genetic risk scores fail to predict survival after diagnosis

Research indicates that disease susceptibility genetics poorly predict survival, while longevity PGSs offer stronger associations with post-diagnosis mortality.

2 Oct 2025

Tiny DNA junctions provide feedback to control genetic crossovers

Every new life begins after a genetic shuffle. When organisms make eggs or sperm, maternal and paternal chromosomes pair up and swap pieces of DNA in a process called crossing over.

25 Sep 2025

Researchers uncover how chromosome crossovers protect fertility

When a woman becomes pregnant, the outcome of that pregnancy depends on many things - including a crucial event that happened while she was still growing inside her own mother's womb.

24 Sep 2025

Lifespan study reveals age-specific biological changes in Down Syndrome

In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) at the University of Colorado Anschutz discovered important differences in the physiological changes observed in over 300 individuals with Down syndrome across the lifespan.

24 Sep 2025

Genomic study reveals colonial and Indigenous contributions to modern South Africans

A genomic analysis of over 1,200 people from across South Africa reveals how colonial-era European, Indigenous Khoe-San peoples, and enslaved people contributed to the modern-day gene pool in South Africa.

23 Sep 2025

Adults with both Down Syndrome and congenital heart defects show remarkable resilience

Adults with both Down Syndrome and congenital heart defects, also known as congenital heart disease (CHD), are showing remarkable resilience despite facing significant medical challenges, according to a new MUSC study in Pediatric Cardiology.

19 Sep 2025

POT1 gene mutation linked to pulmonary fibrosis through telomere dysfunction

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a potentially fatal disease currently without treatment, in which lung tissue develops scarring and becomes stiff, making breathing increasingly difficult over time.

18 Sep 2025

Loss of key Y chromosome gene causes infertility in male mice

In a new study conducted at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, researchers from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) have shown that the loss of a key male fertility gene leads to infertility and changes expression of hundreds of other important genes.

17 Sep 2025

DoD awards $1.7 million grant to continue the Convergent Science Virtual Cancer Center

A University of Arizona Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher received a $1.7 million grant from the Department of Defense to continue the Convergent Science Virtual Cancer Center, which broadens the scope of education for cancer research trainees through an emergent, cross-disciplinary approach known as convergent science.

16 Sep 2025

Study identifies C1orf122 as prognostic marker in liver cancer

Primary liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, of which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all liver cancer cases.

11 Sep 2025

Can cannabis use disrupt women’s fertility? New study finds strong evidence

Researchers found that THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, alters oocyte gene expression, spindle formation, and chromosome segregation, lowering embryo euploidy rates in IVF. This provides direct human evidence linking cannabis exposure to impaired female fertility outcomes.

10 Sep 2025