Mangile's Pigeon Pages Chromosomes
A chromosome may be thought of as a string of given genes (or, a linkage group) and may be comprised of hundreds, or thousands of genes.
* A gene might be compared to a link of a chain; i.e., connected links are called chains, and connected genes are called chromosomes.
It is important to understand that, with some exceptions, chromosomes occur in pairs. Therefore, each gene in one chromosome has a matching copy at the same location, on its neighboring chromosome.
In reality, the paired, (double) chromosomes are inter wound around each other. Try to envision an extended length of the paired chromosomes above being twisted like two pieces of wire? The end result should give a fair idea of the much talked about "double helix" show in the associated graphic.
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