Histones are

Options

A. basic proteins
B. glycoproteins
C. acid proteins
D. mucoproteins

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Histones:**
- Histones are proteins that play a crucial role in the packaging of DNA within the cell nucleus. They help in the formation of a structure called nucleosome.

2. **Structure of Histones:**
- Histones form a complex known as a histone octamer, which consists of eight histone proteins. This octamer is made up of four types of histones, with each type present in two copies.

3. **Function of Histones:**
- The DNA molecule coils around the histone octamer, forming the nucleosome structure. This is the first level of DNA packaging, which leads to further condensation and the eventual formation of chromosomes.

4. **Charge Properties:**
- DNA is classified as acidic due to the presence of phosphate groups in its structure. Since histones interact with DNA, they must have an opposite charge to facilitate this interaction.

5. **Histones as Basic Proteins:**
- Given that DNA is acidic, histones must be basic to attract and bind to the DNA. Basic proteins are characterized by a higher concentration of basic amino acids such as arginine and lysine.

6. **Conclusion:**
- Based on the above information, the correct classification of histones is that they are basic proteins.

**Final Answer:**
Histones are basic proteins.

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