Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago

---

In this video, we look at the role of chromatin and histones in gene expression. First we look at what is meant by heterochromatin and euchromatin. We then explore how histone acetylation and deacetylation can influence whether genes are expressed or whether they are silenced, including the roles of RNA polymerase and transcription factors.

Image credits:

DNA
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DNA_2_--_Smart-Servier.png
Laboratoires Servier, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Chromatin and histones
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chromatin_and_histones.jpg
Darryl Leja, NHGRI, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cell nucleus
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Micrograph_of_a_cell_nucleus.png

Mitosis
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitosis_(261_10)_Pressed;_root_meristem_of_Vicia_faba_(cells_in_anaphase,_prophase).jpg
Doc. RNDr. Josef Reischig, CSc., CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Human karyotype
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_male_karyotpe_high_resolution.jpg
Courtesy: National Human Genome Research Institute, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Insulin
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Insulin_struct.png
User:AtikaAtikawa, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Antibody
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antibody_IgG1_surface.png
Tokenzero, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons