centromere

[ sen-truh-meer ]

nounCell Biology.
  1. a specialized structure on the chromosome, appearing during cell division as the constricted central region where the two chromatids are held together and form an X shape.

Origin of centromere

1
First recorded in 1920–25; centro- + -mere

Other words from centromere

  • cen·tro·mer·ic [sen-truh-mer-ik, -meer-], /ˌsɛn trəˈmɛr ɪk, -ˈmɪər-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for centromere

centromere

/ (ˈsɛntrəˌmɪə) /


noun
  1. the dense nonstaining region of a chromosome that attaches it to the spindle during mitosis

Derived forms of centromere

  • centromeric (ˌsɛntrəˈmɛrɪk, -ˈmɪərɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for centromere

centromere

[ sĕntrə-mîr′ ]


  1. The region of the chromosome to which the spindle fiber is attached during cell division (both mitosis and meiosis). The centromere is the constricted point at which the two chromatids forming the chromosome are joined together. See more at meiosis mitosis.

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