Final answer:
Histones are proteins around which DNA coils to form nucleosomes, the basic unit of chromatin in eukaryotes. Eukaryotic chromatin is further compacted during metaphase. Prokaryotes use non-histone proteins for DNA packaging, and DNA replication involves both continuous and discontinuous synthesis of strands.
Step-by-step explanation:
The role of histones with DNA is to package and order the genetic material into structural units called nucleosomes. DNA wraps around histone proteins, forming nucleosomes like beads on a string, which then coil to become increasingly compact. Eukaryotic DNA is wrapped around these histone proteins forming nucleosomes, which are linked by more DNA, known as linker DNA. This structure is further compacted to form a 30-nm fibre and, eventually, highly condensed metaphase chromosomes.
In contrast, prokaryotes do not have histones for DNA packaging; they use different proteins to achieve a similar function. Chromosomes can be seen at their most compact during the metaphase stage of cell division, and during DNA replication, both strands of DNA are copied, but not continuously; one strand is synthesized continuously, while the other is synthesized in short fragments.