Acrocentrics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to chromosomes that have the centromere located near one end, producing a long arm and a very short arm on each chromosome
2. Describing genetic structures characterized by a centromere positioned close to an extremity, resulting in distinctly asymmetric chromosome arms
3. Pertaining to chromosomes with centromeres placed proximally to one end, creating an uneven distribution of chromosomal arms with one noticeably shorter than the other

Etymology: "Acrocentrics" is the plural of "acrocentric," a term used in genetics for chromosomes whose centromere sits near one end, so that one arm is very short. The adjective is built from two parts: "acro-," from Greek "akros," meaning "highest," "extreme," or "at the tip," and "-centric," from "centre" with the suffix that means "having a centre of a particular kind." Put together, the name describes a chromosome whose centre is pushed toward its tip. The same pattern appears in related terms. A chromosome with its centromere in the middle is "metacentric," and one with it roughly off-centre is "submetacentric," so the set forms a simple scale from middle to edge. The naming follows the visible shape of the chromosome under a microscope rather than any deeper biological idea, which is why the terms are descriptive and transparent.

Synonyms: acrocentric chromosomes, chromosomes