Chromatin is the general packaging of DNA
around histone proteins – this arrangement of DNA
helps to condense DNA to fit within the nucleus of
the cell. Throughout most of the cell cycle, DNA
is packaged in the form of chromatin. However,
during mitosis and meiosis, chromatin exists in an
additional level of organization known as a
chromosome . Chromosomes are an even denser
packaging of chromatin that are visible with a light
microscope, particularly during metaphase.
