A type of protein that acts as a spool around which DNA winds to form nucleosomes, helping package and organize DNA in the nucleus. Histones also play crucial roles in gene regulation.
From German 'Histon', derived from Greek 'histos' meaning 'tissue' or 'web', reflecting their role in the structural organization of genetic material. First isolated from cell nuclei in the 1880s, though their DNA-packaging function wasn't understood until the 1970s.
Try Another Word