chromosomes
nounUK /ˈkrəʊməsəʊmz/
US /ˈkroʊməsoʊmz/
Tiny thread-like parts inside your cells that hold the instructions for how your body grows and works.
Humans have 46 chromosomes in most of their cells.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The structures in a cell nucleus that carry genetic information and become visible during cell division.
Under the microscope, the chromosomes lined up along the middle of the dividing cell.
3. The full set of such structures in an organism, considered as a unit of heredity.
Scientists studied the fruit fly's chromosomes to understand how traits are passed down.
4. A carrier of genetic material in bacteria and other organisms that lack a true nucleus.
The bacterium's single circular chromosome replicates before the cell splits.