The Chromosomes and Genes in Action – Biology Poster, 36×26
by American Educational Products

Chromosomes and genes can be extremely confusing, as the topic is rather complex. The purpose of this poster is to assist with understanding the roles that chromosomes and genes play in all living cells. The poster features 8 photographs of 8 different chromosomes taken beneath a microscope, each one with its own brief description.

Tightly packaged and organized, a chromosome essentially contains all of the DNA of the living organism from which it came. Each cell contains its own copy of the chromosomes, and every time those cells divide a new copy is made, using the previous chromosome as a template. Every living organism not only has its own number of chromosomes, each one containing a different number of genes. It also bears note that the number of copies of each chromosome also varies. Some are diploid, meaning they have two copies, while bread wheat is hexaploid, and has six copies of seven different chromosomes.

Humans, for instance, have 46 chromosomes, while horses have 64, dogs have 78 and cats have 38. Plants, as they are living organisms, also have different number of chromosomes. Tobacco has 48, while rye only has 14. Some organisms, like the Adder’s tongue fern, have many more. A single fern of this type has approximately 1,200 chromosomes.