What does CEN mean in BRITISH MEDICINE

A centromere is a region of the chromosome that binds two chromatids together. It is located in the middle of the chromosome, and its primary role is to maintain the structural stability of the chromosome during cell division.

During cell division, the centromere ensures that each daughter cell receives one complete set of chromosomes by binding sister chromatids together. Without it, chromosomes would become fragmented and cause genetic disorders.

Sister chromatids are identical copies of each other formed by DNA replication prior to cell division. They remain attached to each other at the centromere until they separate in anaphase to form two new daughter cells.

Yes, there are three types of centromeres; point, regional (or diffuse), and satellite. Point centromeres contain only alpha satellites which are short stretches of DNA repeated many times throughout a genome; regional or diffuse centromeres contain multiple types of repeats; and satellite centromeres contain large arrays of long repeating units such as microsatellites or minisatellites.

When a centromere malfunctions due to either environmental or genetic factors, it can cause serious chromosomal instability which can result in diseases such as Down Syndrome or birth defects such as spina bifida. These conditions can be devastating and therefore it is important for medical professionals to be aware of any potential issues related to the functioning of the centromere.

Scientists use various techniques such as immunofluorescence microscopy, FISH (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization), and molecular cloning in order to study how these structures function and their involvement in cellular processes like meiosis/mitosis and gene expression.

Yes! Mutations that occur at certain regions on the structure can be used for targeted gene editing using methods like CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats). This has been explored for potential applications in creating better crops, mitochondrial diseases treatments, alternative forms breast cancer therapies, etc.

Not necessarily! While all eukaryotic organisms possess them - organisms whose cells possess a nucleus - not all prokaryotes do - those whose cells don't possess a nucleus - instead possessing proteins referred to as plasmid origins which serve similar roles by enclosing loops within their cellular walls during replication/division operations. However, more research needs to be done before we have an exact understanding about how these functions behave within prokaryotes.

Yes! The same features that define our human chromosomes can also found throughout different species from fungi even plants suggesting they have remained resilient throughout hundreds millions years evolution.