Glossary Term
Centromere
PCR TermsEN
Definition
The nonstaining primary constriction of a chromosome which is the point of attachment of the spindle fiber; provides the mechanism of chromosome movement during cell division; the centromere divides the chromosome into two arms, and its position is constant for a specific chromosome: near one end (acrocentric), near the center (metacentric), or between (submetacentric).
Extended Notes
Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C13198. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0. Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-20. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.
Also Known As
Centromere
References
- NCI Thesaurus 26.09d — Centromere (C13198)
- Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C13198. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0.
- Rare k-mers reveal centromere haplogroups underlying human diversity and cancer translocations. — Cell, 2026-10-13 (PMID 42869020; literature)
- Oxidative DNA damage drives centromere fragility and chromosome instability. — Cell Rep, 2026-10-09 (PMID 42858250; literature)
- Declining centromere strength compromises meiotic chromosome segregation in aging oocytes. — J Cell Biol, 2026-10-19 (PMID 42895520; literature)
- Rewriting wheat karyotypes through centromere-targeted chromosome engineering. — Nat Plants, 2026-10-23 (PMID 42919901; literature)
- Near-complete assembly of wild emmer wheat unveils centromere reorganization during polyploid evolution. — Nat Genet, 2026-10-22 (PMID 42918899; literature)
- Overexpression of centromere-localized IFIT3 impairs mitochondrial function and disrupts cellular proliferation and cell cycle progression in down syndrome. — Front Genet, 2026-10-14 (PMID 42948516; literature)