noun
- Densely staining regions of heterochromatin in cell nuclei, typically found at the centromeres and telomeres of chromosomes.
Usage: biology; cytology; plural form of chromocenter
Examples
- Under the microscope, chromocenters appear as dark-staining dots within the nucleus.
- The formation of chromocenters is an important aspect of chromosome organization in eukaryotic cells.
- Researchers observed that chromocenters become more prominent during certain stages of the cell cycle.
- Mutations affecting chromocenter structure can lead to chromosomal instability.
- In Drosophila, chromocenters are particularly visible and have been extensively studied by geneticists.