chromonema

noun

chro·​mo·​ne·​ma ˌkrō-mə-ˈnē-mə 

plural chromonemata ˌkrō-mə-ˈnē-mə-tə 

: the coiled filamentous core of a chromatid

chromonematic

ˌkrō-mə-ni-ˈma-tik 

adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Chromonem, from chromo- chromo- + -nem, borrowed from Greek nêma "thread" — more at nemato-

Note: The German word was introduced by the Czech zoologist František Vejdovský (1849-1939) in Zum Problem der Vererbungsträger (Prague, 1911-12), p. 130.

First Known Use

circa 1925, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

chromonema

noun

chro·​mo·​ne·​ma ˌkrō-mə-ˈnē-mə 

plural chromonemata -ˈnē-mət-ə 

: the coiled filamentous core of a chromatid

chromonematic

-ni-ˈmat-ik 

adjective

or chromonemal

-ˈnē-məl 

or chromonematal

-ˈnē-mət-ᵊl  -ˈnem-ət-