Chromatin
The complex of DNA and proteins (mainly histones) that makes up chromosomes. How DNA is packaged inside the cell nucleus.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 3 chapters:
"...equence itself, but they affect whether genes are turned on or off. A gene with methyl groups attached is typically silenced. A gene in loosely wound chromatin is accessible and active. Environmental conditions can change these epigenetic marks. Nutrition, stress, toxins - all can alter gene regulation."
"...y. During caloric restriction, less glucose means less NAD⁺ consumption. NAD⁺ levels rise. Sirtuins activate. What sirtuins do: SIRT1 compacts chromatin (DNA wound around histones), silencing inflammatory genes that accelerate aging. It deactivates p53 - the "guardian of the genome" - just enough to p..."
"...ansposons) copy themselves and insert into new genomic locations, disrupting genes or regulatory sequences. Transposon activity is tightly regulated (chromatin modifications, small RNAs silence them), but transposons account for substantial genetic variation, especially in plants and mammals (45% of human ge..."
Biological Context
Chromatin structure affects gene accessibility. Tightly packed (heterochromatin) regions are typically silent; loosely packed (euchromatin) regions can be transcribed. Chromatin remodeling is a major mechanism of gene regulation. During cell division, chromatin condenses into visible chromosomes.
Business Application
Organizational chromatin: how information and capabilities are packaged and stored. Tightly 'packed' information is harder to access; organizational structure determines what knowledge is readily available versus archived.