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

First spermatocyte, spireme stage showing the unequal pair of heterochromosomes.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Stevens, Nettie Maria

First spermatocyte, spireme stage, x the heterochromosome group.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Stevens, Nettie Maria

Again, one finds a few cases like figure 176, where the spireme is segmented into bivalent chromosomes, each component showing a longitudinal split.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part I by Stevens, Nettie Maria

There is no synizesis and no polarized or bouquet stage, but the nuclei of all of the spermatocytes contain a continuous spireme throughout the growth stage.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part II by Stevens, Nettie Maria

The spireme here, as also in figure 99, is fine and closely interwound.

From Studies in Spermatogenesis Part I by Stevens, Nettie Maria