decondensationn.
/ˌdiːkɒndɛnˈseɪʃən/ Cytology.
A process in which chromatin becomes less dense and compact; the degree of looseness of texture that results.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [noun] > chromatin > process of becoming less dense
decondensation1900
1900 Zool. Jahrbücher: Anat. 14 303 These granules resulting from this gradual decondensation of the chromatin of the chromosomes vary considerably in volume.
1969 Jrnl. Cell Sci. 4 583 It seems important to establish whether this decondensation of chromatin is impeded if DNA synthesis is inhibited.
1975 Nature 9 Oct. 503/2 Centric heterochromatin in Drosophila metaphase chromosomes is organised into large blocks which show various degrees of condensation in prometaphase and various degrees of decondensation when living cells are Hoechst treated.
Derivatives
deconˈdense v. [as a back-formation] (intransitive and transitive) to (cause to) undergo decondensation.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [verb (intransitive)] > undergo decondensation
decondense1965
the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [verb (transitive)] > cause to undergo decondensation
decondense1965
1965 Penny & Waern Biol. xlii. 775 In some cases the chromosomes decondense as in ordinary mitosis, and there is a brief pause before the second division commences. This stage, if it occurs, is called interkinesis.
1975 Nature 24 July 336/2 The heterochromatin of the X chromosome..decondenses right from the first fixation times.
1989 B. Alberts et al. Molecular Biol. Cell (ed. 2) x. 582 Some sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins may function solely to decondense the chromatin in a local chromosomal domain.
deconˈdensed adj. [as a back-formation]
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [adjective] > state of chromatin > having undergone decondensation
decondensed1969
1969 Jrnl. Cell Sci. 4 583 Evidence from several sources suggests that only chromatin in the decondensed form is active as a template for DNA synthesis.
1989 B. Alberts et al. Molecular Biol. Cell (ed. 2) ix. 514 About 10% of the DNA in interphase vertebrate cells is in a relatively decondensed conformation that correlates well with DNA transcription in these regions.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1993; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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n.1900