Nucleosome

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Nucleosomes are the unit of packaging within Eukaryotic cells which allows double stranded DNA to be packaged into the compact space inside the cell's nucleus. Nucleosomes are made up of double stranded DNA circling Chromatin, with Linker Histone molecules joining individual nucleosomes together in a tightly compact structure.

Chromatin

Chromatin is maded up of Core Histone molecules which are highly conserved in nature throughout most species. The main Core Histones are:

  • H2A
  • H2B
  • H3
  • H4

These Core Histones come together to form octamers that make up chromatin. H3 and H4 form a dimer and then interact with another H3/H4 dimer to form a H3/H4 tetramer. H2A and H2B also interact to form dimers. The H3/H4 tetramer interacts with 2 H2A/H2B dimers to form an octamer which forms chromatin.

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