n.
Pronunciation: ' kr ō -m ə -t ə n
Function: noun
Date: 1882
: a complex of nucleic acid and basic proteins (as histone) in eukaryotic cells that is usually dispersed in the interphase nucleus and condensed into chromosomes in mitosis and meiosis ― see CELL illustration ― compare EUCHROMATIN , HETEROCHROMATIN
– chro · ma · tin · ic \ ˌ kr ō -m ə - ' ti-nik \ adjective