Chromosomes are threadlike structures made of protein and a single DNA molecule that transport

genomic information from cell to cell. Chromosomes are found in the nucleus of cells in plants and
animals (including humans). Humans have 46 chromosomes in total, with 22 pairs of numbered
chromosomes (autosomes) and one pair of sex chromosomes (XX or XY). Each pair has two
chromosomes, one from each parent, so children inherit half of their chromosomes from their mother
and half from their father. When the nucleus dissolves during cell division, chromosomes can be seen
under a microscope.

The number and shape of chromosomes vary between living organisms. The vast majority of bacteria
have one or two circular chromosomes. Linear chromosomes are found in humans, as well as other
animals and plants. In fact, each plant and animal species has a unique set of chromosomes. A fruit fly,
for example, has four chromosome pairs, whereas a rice plant has 12, and a dog has 39. In humans, the
sex chromosomes are the twenty-third pair, while the first 22 pairs are known as autosomes. Biologically
female individuals typically have two X chromosomes (XX), whereas biologically male individuals have
one X and one Y chromosome (XY). There are, however, exceptions to these rules. Chromosomes vary in
size as well. The human X chromosome is approximately three times larger than the human Y
chromosome, containing approximately 900 genes, whereas the Y chromosome contains approximately
55 genes. The chromosome's unique structure keeps DNA tightly wound around spool-like proteins
called histones. DNA molecules would be too long to fit inside cells without this packaging! If all of the
DNA molecules in a single human cell were unwound from their histones and laid end-to-end, they
would stretch 6 feet.