What is the difference btw chromosome, chromatin adn chromatid?

Question

What is the difference btw chromosome, chromatin adn chromatid?

Answer 1

Shorter answer: a chromatid is made up of chromatin.

Longer answer:

A CHROMOSOME is that X-shaped bundle of genetic material, right? Well, you probably remember from class that a chromosome is actually made up of two complete sets of the genetic information it is supposed to contain.

A CHROMATID is part of that chromosome. There are two chromatids in the chromosome, each forming one side of the "X," and they're attached together to form the complete "X"

CHROMATIN is DNA plus protiens, but doesn't have to be wound up tightly into the chromatid/chromosome. In all the stages of the cell cycle where the genetic material is lose, not packed into chromosomes, the material is called chromatin. Once it is bundled into chromosomes, people stop calling it chromatin because they can be more specific.

Answer 2

Chromatin is a mass of chromosomes, each of which is composed of two chromatids. If you're spelling 'and' wrong, chromosomes are the thing that you're one short of.

Answer 3

chromosomes are made up of chromatin which is made up of chromatid (its like a chain of molecules that gets bigger as it increases in size)

Answer 4

Chromosome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosome

Chromosomes are organized structures of DNA and proteins that are found in cells. A chromosome is a singular piece of DNA, which contains many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions. The word chromosome comes from the Greek χρῶμα (chroma, color) and σῶμα (soma, body) due to their property of being stained very strongly by some dyes.

Chromosomes vary extensively between different organisms. The DNA molecule may be circular or linear, and can contain anything from tens of kilobase pairs to hundreds of megabase pairs. Typically eukaryotic cells (cells with nuclei) have large linear chromosomes and prokaryotic cells (cells without defined nuclei) have smaller circular chromosomes, although there are many exceptions to this rule. Furthermore, cells may contain more than one type of chromosome; for example mitochondria in most eukaryotes and chloroplasts in plants have their own small chromosomes.

Chromatin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatin

Chromatin is the complex of DNA and protein that makes up chromosomes. It is found inside the nuclei of eukaryotic cells, and within the nucleoid in prokaryotic cells. [1] The major proteins involved in chromatin are histone proteins, although many other chromosomal proteins have prominent roles too. The functions of chromatin are to package DNA into a smaller volume to fit in the cell, to strengthen the DNA to allow mitosis and meiosis, and to serve as a mechanism to control expression. Changes in chromatin structure are affected mainly by methylation (DNA and proteins) and acetylation (proteins). Chromatin structure is also relevant to DNA replication and DNA repair.

Chromatin is easily visualised by staining, hence its name, which literally means coloured material.

Chromatin is the complex of DNA and protein that makes up chromosomes. It is found inside the nuclei of eukaryotic cells, and within the nucleoid in prokaryotic cells. [1] The major proteins involved in chromatin are histone proteins, although many other chromosomal proteins have prominent roles too. The functions of chromatin are to package DNA into a smaller volume to fit in the cell, to strengthen the DNA to allow mitosis and meiosis, and to serve as a mechanism to control expression. Changes in chromatin structure are affected mainly by methylation (DNA and proteins) and acetylation (proteins). Chromatin structure is also relevant to DNA replication and DNA repair.

Chromatin is easily visualised by staining, hence its name, which literally means coloured material.

Chromatid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatid

A chromatid is one of two identical copies of DNA making up a chromosome, which are joined at their centromeres, for the process of cell division (mitosis or meiosis). The term is used so long as the centromeres remain in contact. When they separate (during anaphase of mitosis and anaphase 2 of meiosis), the strands are called daughter-chromosomes.

In other words, a chromatid is "one-half of a replicated chromosome".[1] It should not be confused with the ploidy of an organism, which is the number of homologous versions of a chromosome.