Jan 10, 2020

Chromosome

Thread-like structure that packages DNA sequences known as genes. DNA, the chemical composition of organic life, is strung together into sequences called “genes.” These are in turn packaged into larger, thread-like structures called “chromosomes.” Human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes; 22 of these are shared between men and women, but the 23rd pair, the sex chromosomes, are different: women have two X chromosomes and men have an X and a Y chromosome, which is why diseases resulting from genetic mutations on the sex chromosomes are typically more common in men (women have an extra copy that is not mutated). Chromosomes and all their genetic information can be found within each cell of a body, making up a vast, though very tiny, library of repeated information.