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chromosome

noun

  1. structure composed of a very long molecule of DNA and associated proteins (e.g. histones) that carries hereditary information
L30507 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈkɹəʊ.məˌsəʊm/ / /ˈkɹoʊməˌsoʊm/ / /ˈkɹoʊməˌzoʊm/

noun

Etymology: 19th century: from German Chromosom, ultimately from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “colour”) + σῶμα (sôma, “body”) (because they are stained under the microscope). Equivalent to chromo- + -some.

  1. A linear arrangement of condensed DNA and associated proteins (such as chaperone proteins) which contains the genetic material (genome) of an organism.

    “Chromosomes store genetic information.”

    “A length of DNA is divided into segments called chromosomes and shorter individual units called genes.”