Protamines Replace Histones for Chromosome Condensation

Steps:

• Chromosomes condense during mitosis by coiling DNA around proteins.
• Histones form nucleosomes that package DNA into chromatin.
• Protamines are basic proteins that bind DNA more tightly than histones.
• During mitosis, protamines displace histones to increase chromosome thickness and compactness.

Why C is correct:

• Histones are the core proteins in nucleosomes; protamines replace them to achieve higher-order chromatin folding, as defined in eukaryotic chromosome structure.

Why the others are wrong:

• A. Centromeres are DNA sequences for kinetochore assembly, not protein components replaced by protamines.
• B. Chromatids are duplicated chromosome structures, not molecular parts displaced by proteins.
• D. Telomeres are protective DNA caps at chromosome ends, unaffected by protamine replacement.

Final answer: C