Which component of the cellular nucleus of living organismscarries hereditary characters?
Answers
) Several elements involves in transcription can be inherited, conditioning the expression of certain genes in daughter cells.
The nucleus contains DNA, a polymer with informative role that is passed on to the next generation of cells. Ignoring mutations and the reduction of chromosomes’ telomeres (which happens most of the time), the DNA sequence does not change between generations, so it is hereditary.
The sequence gives some information, but also the quantity of transcription factors such as inducers and repressors determines the expression of certain genes. These proteins bind to DNA to increase or reduce the expression of a certain gene/group of genes.
The state of methylation of adenine an cytosine is also inherited from a cell to another. The more nucleotids are methylated, the less their gene is transcripted.
The histone code indicates how histones, proteins that help package DNA, are modificated. They can be methylated, citrullinated, acetylated or phosphorylated. Other proteins can recognize these modifications and compact DNA more or less. (They also help repairing DNA.)
the componenet of the cellular nucleus of living hereditary units are GENES