centromere

[ sen-truh-meer ]

/ ˈsɛn trəˌmɪər /

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noun Cell Biology.

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.

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Origin of centromere

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

Words nearby centromere

centrobaric, centroclinal, centroid, centrolecithal, centrolinead, centromere, centrosome, centrosphere, centrosymmetric, centrum, cent sign

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use centromere in a sentence

It’s been one of the great mysteries of biology that all eukaryotes—all plants, animals, people, trees, flowers and higher organisms—have centromeres.
The Human Genome Is Finally Fully Sequenced|Alice Park|March 31, 2022|Time
One of the biggest finds may be the structure of all of the human centromeres.
We finally have a fully complete human genome|Tina Hesman Saey|March 31, 2022|Science News
These shared epigenetic marks were concentrated in certain parts of the genome, including centromere and telomere regions on chromosomes.
All identical twins may share a common set of chemical markers on their DNA|Jonathan Lambert|September 28, 2021|Science News
Learning more about centromeres may help researchers understand why chromosome division sometimes goes wrong, leading to cancer or genetic conditions such as Down syndrome.
The first human genetic blueprint just turned 20. What’s next?|Tina Hesman Saey|February 22, 2021|Science News

British Dictionary definitions for centromere

centromere

/ (ˈsɛntrəˌmɪə) /

noun

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

[ sĕn′trə-mîr′ ]

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.