Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
histone
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
centromere and chromatids in cell division DNA wraps around proteins called histones to form units known as nucleosomes. These units condense into a chromatin fibre, which condenses further to form a chromosome. Epigenetics studies have revealed that chemical modifications to histones can be inherited and define how the information in genes is expressed and used by cells. histone; nucleosome
Related Questions
Read Next
Molecular structure of a petide - sequence of amino acids
What Is the Difference Between a Peptide and a Protein?
Illustration of molecules. (molecular, chemistry, science)
Why Is a Group of Molecules Called a Mole?
molecule model, element
Molecular Machines: Making for the Future
Overhead view of high protein foods: chicken, meat, spinach, eggs, nuts, bean, cheese. (nutrition, health, food, diet)
Why Is Eating Protein Important?
Discover
Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece
Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents
Click on image for enlargements of panel sections. The Ghent Altarpiece (open view) by Jan and Hubert van Eyck, 1432, polyptych with 12 panels, oil on panel; in the Cathedral of Saint-Bavon, Ghent, Belg.
The Most Stolen Work of Art
Washington DC.,USA, April 26, 1989. Supporters for and against legal abortion face off during a protest outside the United States Supreme Court Building during Webster V Health Services
Pro and Con: Abortion
David Cameron. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom talk during the G8 Summit at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, June 17, 2013
What’s the Difference Between a President and a Prime Minister?
Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait. Oil on canvas, 1887.
Rediscovered Artists: 6 Big Names That Time Almost Forgot
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.
10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci
United States Electoral College votes by state
How Many Electoral College Votes Does Each U.S. State Have?

histone

biochemistry
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/histone
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/science/histone
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Key People:
Venki Ramakrishnan
Related Topics:
protein
epigenomics
See all related content

histone, any of a group of simple alkaline proteins usually occurring in cell nuclei, combined ionically with DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) to form nucleoproteins (q.v.). A unit in which a molecule of a histone is bound to a segment of the DNA chain of genetic material is termed a nucleosome. It has been suggested that changes in these units are associated with changes in the physical state and function of the chromatin during cell division and the transcription of the genetic message. Discovered in avian red blood cell nuclei by Albrecht Kossel about 1884, histones are water-soluble and contain large amounts of basic amino acids, particularly lysine and arginine. They are abundant in the thymus and pancreas.