Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
euchromatin

euchromatin

9.9
A loose form of DNA in the cell nucleus where genes are active
  • noun
  • /juːˈkroʊmətɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : eucromatina
  • The presence of euchromatin is essential for the regulation of genes necessary for cell growth.

Examples

  • Heterochromatin (as opposed to euchromatin) is highly condensed, which makes it bind firmly to certain dye molecules (Mitchison and Salmon 2001).

    Academic text (2009)

  • Euchromatin is crucial for gene expression as it allows euchromatin to be accessed by transcription factors.

  • Euchromatin represents 64% of the soybean genome, with a range of 40–85% on an individual chromosome.

    Blog text (27)

  • In a cell nucleus, euchromatin appears less condensed than heterochromatin, indicating active regions of genes.

How Active

euchromatin
  • Specialized
9.9
heterochromatin
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

euchromatin singular
euchromatins plural

Morphology

euchromatin = chromatin (opaque) = eu + chromatin

A specialized biomedical term whose Greek combining form 'eu-' and the technical noun 'chromatin' are unlikely to yield a clear meaning for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Euchromatin comes from Greek parts eu- meaning 'good' or 'well' and chroma meaning 'color', the same root you see in chromosome. So the name hints at how this part of chromatin looks under a microscope — it is more open and loosely packed, which is why euchromatin is usually the active part where genes are used.