Author name: Venkat S. R.

Although genes and chromosomes are not the same, they are closely related.

Genes as well as chromosomes are two essential components of the genetic material of every living organism.

Learn more about the functions of genes and chromsomes.

The main difference between chromatin and chromosomes is their structure and organization. While chromosomes also contain the same two chemical components, their functions differ significantly from that of chromatin.

Learn more about the structure and functional differences between chromosomes and chromatin.

Chromosomes are tiny structures, made up of long strands of DNA that are coiled up tightly and hold all the instructions for how our bodies work.

Know more about the structure of chromosomes and why its location holds special significance.

Chromosomes become visible during the initial part of mitosis, when the chromosomes condense.

Once chromosomes condense, they remain visible until the end of cell division.

Learn at what point during the cell cycle chromosomes become visible.

Human somatic cells are the cells that make up the tissues and organs of our body, with the exception of the reproductive cells.

These cells contain a full set of chromosomes, which are the structures that carry genetic information.

The majority of cells in the human body are somatic cells, including skin cells, muscle cells, and nerve cells.

During the process of meiosis, which is the specialized cell division that produces sperm cells, the number of chromosomes is halved.

This means that each sperm cell contains only one set of chromosomes, rather than the usual two sets found in other cells of the body.

Read on to know how many chromosomes are there in a sperm cell.

Gametes are sex cells and are vital for sexual reproduction. Unlike the diploid cells that make up the majority of cells in the human body, gametes are haploid cells, meaning they have only one set of chromosomes.

The history of cytogenetics dates back to the late 1800s when the first observations of chromosomes were made.

Since then, several scientists have contributed to the field, including Theodor Boveri, Walter Sutton, Thomas Hunt Morgan, and Barbara McClintock, among others.

Read on to know who discovered chromosomes and the contributions of other renowned scientists in the study of chromosomes.

Synapsis is the pairing of homologous chromosomes during cell division, which is crucial for the proper segregation of chromosomes.

During synapsis, two chromosomes that share the same size and shape (called homologous chromosomes) pair up to exchange genetic information.

Learn when synapsis of homologous chromosomes occurs.

Sister chromatids and homologous chromosomes are different from each other. While sister chromatids are identical copies of a single chromosome, homologous chromosomes are a pair of similar chromosomes that contain the same genes but may have different alleles.

Prophase, the first of four mitosis stages, is when the genetic material in the cell, which is organized into structures called chromosomes, begins to condense and become visible under a microscope.

This condensation allows the chromosomes to be more easily separated and distributed to the two daughter cells.

Learn how these chromosomes are separated.

A zygote is a fertilized egg that results from the fusion of a sperm and an egg cell during sexual reproduction.

Learn how many chromosomes there are in a zygote.

Meiosis is a special type of cell division that occurs in our body, in which the chromosome numbers are reduced by half.

Crossing over is a crucial process that occurs during meiosis, which is responsible for creating genetic diversity in the offspring.

Read on to know when crossing over occurs during meiosis.

Chromosome segregation is the process by which chromosomes are separated during cell division.

During meiosis, chromosomes are replicated and then divided into two sets of chromosomes.

Each set of chromosomes is then packaged into a separate nucleus, which gives rise to two genetically distinct cells.

Learn when the X and Y chromosomes segregate in a germ line cell.

Prokaryotes and eukaryotes are two types of cells that differ in many ways, including their chromosome structure.

Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms, while eukaryotes are more complex organisms with a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Learn more about the structural differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic chromosomes.