chromosomes

Cancer cells with extra chromosomes depend on those chromosomes for tumor growth, a new Yale study reveals, and eliminating them prevents the cells from forming tumors. The findings, said the researchers, suggest that selectively targeting…

Most chromosomes have been around for millions of years. Now, researchers from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have revealed the dynamics of a new, very young chromosome in fruit flies that is similar to chromosomes that arise in…

Changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer's disease are associated with shortening of the telomeres -- the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age -- according to a new study led by Anya Topiwala of Oxford…

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have mapped out the molecular structure of a key part of our chromosomes called telomeres, which play a pivotal part in ageing and cancer. The NTU team discovered…

Our cells perform a marvel of engineering when it comes to packing information into small spaces. Every time a cell divides, it bundles up an amazing 4 metres of DNA into 46 tiny packages, each of which is only several millionths of a metre…

In most mammals, females have two X chromosomes and males have one X and one Y chromosome in each of their cells. To avoid a double dose of X-linked genes in females, one of the Xs is silenced early in the developmental process. This…

A research team led by Dr Karen Wing Yee YUEN, Associate Professor from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), revealed the mechanism of artificial chromosome (AC) formation in the embryos of the model…

Why do women over 35 have more difficulty getting pregnant? After discovering one of the causes of age-related female infertility, researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) suggest that it will be possible…

During cell division, chromosomes are duplicated and separated so that one copy of each chromosome is inherited by each of the two emerging daughter cells. Correct distribution of chromosomes requires high accuracy and defects in this…

Mass of human chromosomes have been measured for the first time. The mass of human chromosomes, which contain the instructions for life in nearly every cell of our bodies, has been measured with X-rays for the first time in a new study led…