chromatin
noun
chro·ma·tin ˈkrō-mə-tən 
: a complex chiefly of DNA and histone in eukaryotic cells that is usually dispersed in the interphase nucleus and condensed into chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis and in which the nucleosome makes up its repeating subunits
In eukaryotes, the DNA interacts with the histone proteins to form a tightly packed superstructure known as chromatin.
Isao Tanaka et al.
see cell illustration compare euchromatin, heterochromatin, nucleosome Isao Tanaka et al. chromatinic
ˌkrō-mə-ˈti-nik
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web That’s when Marco realized that the architectural changes to the chromatin were preparing the cells to reinforce the memories when they were recalled. Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2020 Amid all of this, the chromatin pinches off here and there into thousands of loops. Quanta Magazine, 25 Feb. 2015 And a new company aims to target one aspect of epigenetics — chromatin winding — to try to treat first cancer, and then other disorders. Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2018 That’s because the chemical elements in chromatin don’t contain many electrons. Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 27 July 2017 Between those boundary points, those clusters of insulating proteins, the chromatin strand can loop up and over like the ribbon in a birthday bow, allowing genetic elements distributed along the ribbon to touch and interact with one another. Natalie Angier, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2017 This raises another question: what determines the chromatin code? Brandon Keim, WIRED, 2 July 2007 See More
Quanta Magazine, 2 Nov. 2020 Amid all of this, the chromatin pinches off here and there into thousands of loops. Quanta Magazine, 25 Feb. 2015 And a new company aims to target one aspect of epigenetics — chromatin winding — to try to treat first cancer, and then other disorders. Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2018 That’s because the chemical elements in chromatin don’t contain many electrons. Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 27 July 2017 Between those boundary points, those clusters of insulating proteins, the chromatin strand can loop up and over like the ribbon in a birthday bow, allowing genetic elements distributed along the ribbon to touch and interact with one another. Natalie Angier, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2017 This raises another question: what determines the chromatin code? Brandon Keim, WIRED, 2 July 2007 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from German Chromatin "dense part of the cell nucleus that is easily stained," from Greek chrōmat-, chrôma "color" + German -in -in entry 1
Note: Term introduced by German biologist Walther Flemming (1843-1905) in "Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Zelle und ihrer Lebenserscheinungen, Theil II," Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie, Band 18 (1880), pp. 157-58.
First Known Use
1882, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing chromatin
Medical Definition
chromatin
noun
chro·ma·tin ˈkrō-mət-ən
: a complex of a nucleic acid with basic proteins (as histone) in eukaryotic cells that is usually dispersed in the interphase nucleus and condensed into chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis