Main Entry: chro·ma·tin

Pronunciation: \ˈkrō-mə-tən\

Function: noun

Date: 1882

: a complex of nucleic acid and basic proteins (as histone) in eukaryotic cells that is usually dispersed in the interphase nucleus and condensed into chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis — see cell illustration — compare euchromatin, heterochromatin

— chro·ma·tin·ic \ˌkrō-mə-ˈti-nik\ adjective