Cell Component
heterochromatin Audio
het·er·o·chro·ma·tin [ het-er-uh-kroh-muh-tin ]
Subclass of:
Chromatin
Definitions related to heterochromatin:
  • A compact and highly condensed form of chromatin that is refractory to transcription.
    Gene Ontology Dictionary
    Gene Ontology Consortium, 2021
  • A tightly packed area of chromatin that may function to protect chromosome integrity and regulate gene expression.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Regions of the genome that are permanently in a highly condensed condition and are not genetically expressed.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • The portion of chromosome material that remains condensed and is transcriptionally inactive during INTERPHASE.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.