definitions

nucleosome

[ noo-klee-uh-sohm, nyoo- ]
/ ˈnu kli əˌsoʊm, ˈnyu- /

noun Cell Biology.

any of the repeating subunits of chromatin occurring at intervals along a strand of DNA, consisting of DNA coiled around histone.

Nearby words

nucleoprotein, nucleorrhexis, nucleosidase, nucleoside, nucleoside analogue, nucleosome, nucleosynthesis, nucleotidase, nucleotide, nucleotides, nucleotidyltransferase

Origin of nucleosome

First recorded in 1960–65; nucleo- + -some3
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for nucleosome

nucleosome

/ (ˈnjuːklɪəˌsəʊm) /

noun

a repeating structural unit of chromatin that contains DNA and histones
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

Medicine definitions for nucleosome

nucleosome

[ nōō′klē-ə-sōm′ ]

n.

Any of the repeating subunits of chromatin, consisting of a DNA chain coiled around a core of histones.

Related forms

nu′cle•o•som′al (-sō′məl) adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for nucleosome

nucleosome

[ nōō′klē-ə-sōm′ ]

Any of the repeating subunits of chromatin in eukaryotic cells, consisting of a DNA chain coiled around a core of histones. See Note at histone.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.