heterochromatin

[ het-er-uh-kroh-muh-tin ]
/ ˌhɛt ər əˈkroʊ mə tɪn /

noun Genetics.

the dense, highly stainable part of a chromosome.
Compare euchromatin.

Origin of heterochromatin

First recorded in 1930–35; hetero- + chromatin

Words nearby heterochromatin

heterocarpy, heterocellular, heterocercal, heterochlamydeous, heterochromatic, heterochromatin, heterochrome, heterochromia, heterochromic uveitis, heterochromosome, heterochromous

British Dictionary definitions for heterochromatin

heterochromatin
/ (ˌhɛtərəʊˈkrəʊmətɪn) /

noun

the condensed part of a chromosome that stains strongly with basic dyes in nondividing cells and has little genetic activity Compare euchromatin

Medical definitions for heterochromatin

heterochromatin
[ hĕt′ə-rō-krō′mə-tĭn ]

n.

The part of the chromonema that remains tightly coiled and condensed during interphase and thus stains readily.