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Chromatin Compaction: the Nucleosome

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A nucleosome is the first level of chromosome compaction, formed as DNA wraps around a core of eight histone proteins, shortening the DNA strand roughly sevenfold.

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A stretch of DNA wrapping twice around a histone core forms one nucleosome, connected to the next by a short stretch of linker DNA.

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This packaging shortens the DNA physically without removing or altering its sequence.