Final answer:
Chemical modification of histones by addition of methyl and acetyl groups to particular amino acids results in the remodeling of chromatin, which can activate or inhibit gene expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chemical modification of histones by addition of methyl and acetyl groups to particular amino acids results in the remodeling of chromatin, which can activate or inhibit gene expression. These modifications, such as histone acetylation and methylation, alter how tightly DNA is wound around histone proteins, affecting the accessibility of genes for transcription. For example, acetylation of histones tends to unwind nucleosomes and open the DNA for transcription.