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The Role Of Chromatin Structure Within The Development Of Multicellular Organisms

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The role of chromatin structure in the development of multicellular organisms The structure of the genetic material of multicellular organisms is a key factor in their physical and evolutionary development. The chromatin structure allows multicellular organisms to develop many consequential characteristics that allow them to grow and specialize in several processes that set them apart from single celled organisms. How can it be that something as small and seemingly uninvolved as chromatin structure can have such a great effect on the development of an organism? The answer lies not only in the structure of the chromatin itself, but in how it is regulated, replicated, and modified as well. By studying the chromatin of organisms, new insights can be gained in the ability of an organism to alter its genetic expression, and even pass these alterations on to offspring. In order to appreciate the overall structure of chromatin, the structure of DNA should be first understood at the deepest level. DNA has a primary structure composed a strand of nucleotide units. These units are composed of a phosphate linked to the 5’ position of a deoxyribose sugar. One of four nucleotide bases, adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine, is connected to the 1’ position on the deoxyribose. These strands of nucleotides occur in pairs, which run antiparallel to one another, allowing the bases to form hydrogen bonds with their complementary pair. Adenine pairs with thymine, forming two hydrogen bonds

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