Spireme
/ˈspaɪəriːm/noun
A threadlike chromatin structure formerly believed to form during the early stages of cell division.
Did you know?The term reflects an obsolete nineteenth-century model in which chromatin was thought to form one continuous coiled thread before splitting into chromosomes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sper-
“To turn, twist, or wind; a proposed ancestral root associated with coiling forms.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σπεῖρα (speîra)
“A coil, winding, or spiral; also a band or twisted formation.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
spīra
“A coil, winding, or spiral; the source of later scientific and geometric terms.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin/French
spireme
“A coined biological term built from the idea of a coiled thread or spiral filament.”
19th–20th Century
English
spireme
“A supposed continuous chromatin thread appearing during prophase.”
Modern English
English
spireme
“An obsolete or historical cytological term for a threadlike chromatin structure.”