General ---------Biology----------------------------------------------------- ------------------Online--------------------------------------- Ch. 13 Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

A chromosome is a coiled up strand of DNA.  Along the DNA strand are genes.  Each gene carries the genetic code to produce a unique protein.  This code allows the ribosome to assemble amino acids in a particular sequence to build the unique protein (see Fig. 5.26 in Ch. 5 of your textbook). 

An analogy:
A chromosome is to a gene as a cassette tape is to a song.

During prophase of the cell cycle, the long DNA thread coils up into a tight, compact chromosome, as illustrated below.

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