The complex of DNA and proteins found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. It packages long DNA molecules into more compact, organized structures and regulates gene expression through its level of condensation.
From Greek 'chroma' meaning 'color', named because it readily takes up certain dyes used in microscopy. The term was coined by German anatomist Walther Flemming in 1879 when he observed these easily stained structures in cell nuclei.
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