A chromosome’s structure is what it is made of and how it is organized. Its function is what it does. How does knowing about the structure and function of chromosomes help to explain variation in sexually reproducing organisms?

Chromosome, the microscopic threadlike part of the cell that carries hereditary information in the form of genes. A defining feature of any chromosome is its compactness. For instance, the 46 chromosomes found in human cells have a combined length of 200 nm (1 nm = 10− 9 metre); if the chromosomes were to be unraveled, the genetic material they contain would measure roughly 2 metres (about 6.5 feet) in length. The compactness of chromosomes plays an important role in helping to organize genetic material during cell division and enabling it to fit inside structures such as the nucleus of a cell, the average diameter of which is about 5 to 10 μm (1 μm = 0.00l mm, or 0.000039 inch), or the polygonal head of a virus particle, which may be in the range of just 20 to 30 nm in diameter.