spireme

American  

[spahy-reem] / ˈspaɪ rim /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. the threadlike chromatin of a cell nucleus, present during early meiosis or mitosis.

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spireme British  

/ ˈspaɪriːm /

noun

1. cytology the tangled mass of chromatin threads into which the nucleus of a cell is resolved at the start of mitosis

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Etymology

Origin of spireme

1885–90; < Greek speírēma coil, equivalent to speirē-, variant stem of speirâsthai to be coiled around + -ma noun suffix of result

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spireme

First spermatocyte, spireme stage, showing the larger and smaller heterochromosome associated with a plasmosome. 65-68.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Nettie Maria Stevens

The first division is thus a reducing division, while the split appearing in the anaphase of the heterotype and presumably reappearing in the prophase of the homotype is the original split of the spireme thread.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various

Here we have again a continuous spireme connected with the element x, making it seem improbable that the bivalent chromosomes are really separated in the bouquet stage.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part I by Nettie Maria Stevens

As in most of the other species of Coleoptera, the unequal pair is not distinguishable until the spireme stage.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Nettie Maria Stevens

First spermatocyte, spireme stage, showing the unequal pair associated with a large plasmosome.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Nettie Maria Stevens