chromatin
(KROH-muh-tin)
A highly organized condensed structure made up of DNA, RNA, and proteins that forms the chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell. Chromatin is formed when long strands of DNA molecules wrap around spool-like complexes of proteins called histones to form structures that resemble beads on a string called nucleosomes. The nucleosomes then fold tightly around each other to form a chromatin fiber that further condenses to form chromosomes. Chromatin allows the DNA to fit inside the cell’s nucleus and allows many important cell processes to occur, including DNA replication, transcription, DNA repair, genetic recombination, and cell division.