adjective
- relating to or denoting a chromosome that has undergone repeated rounds of DNA replication without cell division, resulting in many parallel copies of the DNA strands aligned side by side
Usage: biology; genetics; technical
Examples
- Polytene chromosomes are found in the salivary glands of Drosophila larvae.
- The giant polytene chromosomes made it possible for early geneticists to map genes visually.
- Scientists use polytene chromosomes to study gene expression and chromosome structure.
- The banding pattern on polytene chromosomes corresponds to regions of active and inactive genes.
- Polytene chromosome analysis was crucial in understanding the physical basis of heredity.