centrosome vs. centromere

centrosome vs. centromere: What's the difference?

Centrosome and centromere are not closely-related concepts. Centrosome refers to a small region near the nucleus in the cell cytoplasm, containing the centrioles. Centromere refers to a specialized structure on a chromosome, appearing during cell division as the constricted central region where the two chromatids are held together.

centrosome

[sen-truh-sohm] / ˈsɛn trəˌsoʊm /

noun

Cell Biology.

a small region near the nucleus in the cell cytoplasm, containing the centrioles.

centromere

[sen-truh-meer] / ˈsɛn trəˌmɪər /

noun

Cell Biology.

a specialized structure on the chromosome, appearing during cell division as the constricted central region where the two chromatids are held together and form an X shape.