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Glite Dictionary
🌈 Many colors 🧬 Dense chromosome
heterochromatic

heterochromatic

9.9
Relating to the dark, tightly packed parts of chromosomes that are usually not active
  • adjective
  • /ˌhɛtərəkoʊˈkræmətɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : heterocromático
  • One technique, C-banding, allows Giemsa stain binding for visualization of heterochromatic regions, which can be found near most kinetochores.

Examples

  • However, a comparison of the genetic map and physical map 93–95 has shown that duplicated segments are neither clustered nor restricted to heterochromatic arms.

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  • Scientists study the heterochromatic regions of the genome to understand their role in gene regulation.

  • The short arms of four chromosomes are entirely heterochromatic, but in the remaining 16 chromosomes with potentially gene-rich euchromatic arms, the heterochromatin is restricted to pericentromeric regions.

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  • The heterochromatic areas of chromosomes are crucial for maintaining the structural integrity during cell division.

  • In cellular biology, researchers focus on heterochromatic regions to better comprehend their impact on genetic expression.

Antonyms

euchromatin
  • Specialized
9.9

A loose form of DNA in the cell nucleus where genes are active

How Active

euchromatic
  • Specialized
9.9
heterochromatic
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

heterochromatic positive

Morphology

heterochromatic = chromatic (opaque) = hetero + chrom + atic

The term 'heterochromatic' in this sense relates to chromatin, which is not immediately clear from the base word 'chromatic'.

Etymology

Heterochromatic in biology also uses hetero- 'different' and chroma 'color' and is linked to heterochromatin, the part of a chromosome that stains a different color and looks tightly packed. That's why the word describes the dark, usually inactive regions of DNA.