Histones are highly alkaline proteins found in eukaryotic cell nuclei that package DNA into structures called nucleosomes. Nucleosomes consist of stretches of DNA wrapped around eight histone proteins. There are two main types of histones: core histones including H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, which assemble into nucleosome cores; and linker histones like H1, which bind the DNA between nucleosome cores. Histones compact DNA and are involved in regulating gene expression through various covalent modifications that alter their interaction with DNA.