Why Do Histones Bind Tightly To DNA?
Histones are an important part that helps bind the DNA chromosomes together. They are amino acids that are composed of protein and are positively charged. Since the acidic part of the DNA is negative and the Histones are positively charged, it helps bind the DNA together. Protein interactions play an important role in the functions of the DNA.
The five types of Histones are H1 (H5), H2A, H2B, H3, H4 and they are consistently present in all forms of DNA. DNA (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid) is the genes that a living organism, cell, virus inherits and sometimes referred to as a ‘blueprint, (basic building block). It is the foundation of the genetic structure of all living things. These make certain individuals unique by possessing different traits inherited (exclusively) from their predecessors. In the case of humans, they get the genes from their fathers and mothers.
The chromatin proteins (Histones) are responsible for binding and organizing the DNA together.
Studies had proved that Histones also play an important role in gene expressions. Since DNA stores data, the stored data is used to make replicas of itself. DNA is present in every cell of a living organism, without DNA the basic structure of some living organism would not be even be possible.
The replica of a particular cell or DNA should always have the traits of its parent cells. This keeps certain attributes of the cell unique and different from the rest. You might wonder why you’re hair color, eye color and even skin color are different from your friends or those people that you meet everyday. Our genes make sure that we could only get the characteristics from our parents. Of course, there are a few exemptions that happen every now and then but the basic genetic structure of each individual remains the same.
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