Chromosome

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chromosome

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Chromosome (derived from Greek 'chroma' meaning color and 'soma' meaning body)
2. What is the primary function?To carry genetic information in the form of DNA
3. What are chromosomes and why are they important?Chromosomes are thread‑like structures inside the cell nucleus that hold DNA, the instructions that make us who we are. They keep our genes organized and help the cell read and copy them.
4. How do chromosomes help us inherit traits from our parents?During reproduction, sperm and egg cells each carry half the chromosomes. When they join, they give the baby a full set with a mix of genes from both parents.

Karyotype: The complete set of chromosomes in a cell, arranged by size and shape.
Aneuploidy: The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell.
Histones: Proteins that package and condense DNA into structural units called nucleosomes.
Epigenetics: Heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.