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Would you expect there to be more histones per kilobase in euchromatin or heterochromatin? Explain your reasoning.

A) More in euchromatin, as it is actively transcribed and requires stable histone association
B) More in heterochromatin, as it is tightly packed and needs increased histone density
C) Equal in both, as histone density is independent of chromatin type
D) Absent in both, as histones are not associated with chromatin

1 Answer

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Final answer:

More histones per kilobase would be found in heterochromatin due to its tightly packed structure, as opposed to the less condensed euchromatin which is associated with active transcription.

Step-by-step explanation:

You would expect there to be more histones per kilobase in heterochromatin than in euchromatin. Heterochromatin is characterized by its tightly packed structure, which requires a higher density of histones to maintain its condensed form. This condensation makes the DNA less accessible to enzymes such as DNAse, thereby indicating a high density of protective proteins. In contrast, euchromatin is less densely packed because it contains actively transcribed genes that require access by transcription and replication enzymes. As a result, euchromatin has fewer histones per kilobase compared to heterochromatin.

During interphase, euchromatin is involved in transcription activities, making its chromatin less condensed to allow access to the DNA. Meanwhile, heterochromatin typically contains genes not being transcribed and is associated with regions like centromeres and telomeres. The histones, which are core components of nucleosomes, help in the compaction of DNA, leading to two different chromatin states: the less condensed euchromatin and the more condensed heterochromatin.

In interphase, eukaryotic chromosomes have two distinct regions that can be distinguished by staining. The tightly packaged region is known as heterochromatin, and the less dense region is known as euchromatin. Heterochromatin usually contains genes that are not expressed, and is found in the regions of the centromere and telomeres. The euchromatin usually contains genes that are transcribed, with DNA packaged around nucleosomes but not further compacted.

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