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.
Histones are like molecular librarians with mood rings! They don't just organize DNA - they can be chemically modified to turn genes on or off, and these modifications can be inherited by your children, meaning your lifestyle choices might literally rewrite your grandchildren's genetic expression.
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