heterochromatin

noun

het·​ero·​chro·​ma·​tin ˌhe-tə-rō-ˈkrō-mə-tən How to pronounce heterochromatin (audio)
: densely staining chromatin that appears as nodules in or along chromosomes and contains relatively few genes
heterochromatic adjective

Examples of heterochromatin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But this process inherently misses some portions of the whole genome, particularly sections of certain genes in heterochromatin regions (typically found in the centromeres and telomeres, where DNA is highly repetitive). Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 1 Apr. 2022 At the time, scientists couldn’t sequence heterochromatin, so despite the celebratory hubbub and champagne toasts, almost 10% of the genome went unsequenced. Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heterochromatin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heterochromatin was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near heterochromatin

Cite this Entry

“Heterochromatin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heterochromatin. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

heterochromatin

noun
het·​ero·​chro·​ma·​tin -ˈkrō-mət-ən How to pronounce heterochromatin (audio)
: densely staining chromatin that appears as nodules in or along chromosomes and contains relatively few genes
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