A small, stainable bead-like unit that appears on chromosomes under a microscope, thought to represent a functional segment of genetic material.
From Greek 'chroma' (color) + 'meros' (part/segment). This cytology term emerged in early 20th-century genetics research using light microscopy.
When scientists first looked at chromosomes under microscopes, they noticed these little colored beads along the strands—those are chromomeres, and they helped scientists figure out that chromosomes have internal structure.
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