histone

noun/ˈhɪstoʊn/

Frequency rank: #16,970 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

A type of protein around which DNA winds to form compact structures called nucleosomes, playing a key role in gene regulation.

Illustration for the English word “histone”

Example sentence

Scientists discovered that histone proteins wrap DNA around themselves to help package genetic material inside the cell nucleus.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 16,901–17,000