Final answer:
True. Nucleosome formation compacts the DNA into approximately one-thousandth of its original length through a series of compaction levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
True. Nucleosome formation compacts the DNA into approximately one-thousandth of its original length. In the first level of compaction, short stretches of the DNA double helix wrap around a core of eight histone proteins, forming nucleosomes. Each nucleosome contains a histone-DNA complex, with DNA connecting them called linker DNA. This compaction results in the DNA being about seven times shorter than the double helix without histones. The next level of compaction occurs as the nucleosomes and the linker DNA coil into a 30-nm chromatin fiber, further shortening the chromosome. This process ultimately leads to a significant reduction in the length of DNA, allowing for efficient packaging within the cell nucleus.