Definition of "centromere" [centromere]

• The most condensed and constricted region of a chromosome, to which the spindle fiber is attached during mitosis. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Furthermore, it has been possible to throw light on problems of crossing-over, as in the demonstration (Muller, Stone, and Offermann, 1930 et seq.) that to whatever position the centromere is moved, it causes a strong inhibition of crossing-over, the strength of which gradually diminishes with distance."
• "Each chromosome is identifiable by its relative length, by the location of its centromere, which is readily observed at the pachytene stage, and by the individuality of the chromomeres strung along the length of each chromosome."
• "Each chromosome has a constriction point called the centromere, which divides the chromosome into two sections, or "arms.""