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.Examples of chromatin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In fact, the hallmark of this cell death is that there’s very open chromatin, and then organelles, rather than waiting till the end of the death process to exhibit defects, right from the beginning tend to swell.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
And number two, my first scientific paper in my own career was about applying math to the structure of the chromatin fiber.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
For a gene to be transcribed, chromatin must open to make DNA more accessible.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Normally, after death, chromatin molecules break apart and diffuse through the cellular matrix, like sugar dissolving in hot coffee.
—Richard Stone, science.org, 11 July 2024
How chromatin is structured determines which of its genes are accessible and can be transcribed; if parts of chromatin are too tightly packed, the enzyme machinery of transcription can’t reach it.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
Another idea is that lncRNAs affect the structure of chromatin—the combination of DNA and proteins that makes up chromosome fibers in the cell nucleus.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
Every organism on the planet has a genome, and almost all organisms organize it into a structure called chromatin.
—Anika Nayak, STAT, 13 Oct. 2023
To access a gene, the chromatin must be unpacked in a way that reveals the precise location of the gene and then packed away again afterwards.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2023
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Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
And number two, my first scientific paper in my own career was about applying math to the structure of the chromatin fiber.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
For a gene to be transcribed, chromatin must open to make DNA more accessible.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Normally, after death, chromatin molecules break apart and diffuse through the cellular matrix, like sugar dissolving in hot coffee.
—Richard Stone, science.org, 11 July 2024
How chromatin is structured determines which of its genes are accessible and can be transcribed; if parts of chromatin are too tightly packed, the enzyme machinery of transcription can’t reach it.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
Another idea is that lncRNAs affect the structure of chromatin—the combination of DNA and proteins that makes up chromosome fibers in the cell nucleus.
—Philip Ball, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
Every organism on the planet has a genome, and almost all organisms organize it into a structure called chromatin.
—Anika Nayak, STAT, 13 Oct. 2023
To access a gene, the chromatin must be unpacked in a way that reveals the precise location of the gene and then packed away again afterwards.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Chromatin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chromatin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chromatin
noun
chro·ma·tin
ˈkrō-mə-tən
: a material present in chromosomes that is made up of DNA and protein and stains deeply with certain biological stains
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
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