Holocentric Chromosomes

Holocentric chromosomes are unique in the fact that they contain centromeric sequences throughout the entire chromatid. They have been found to exist in Caenorhabditis Elegans and constitute what is known as a diffuse centromere. Holocentric chromosomes have the ability to allow microtubules to adhere at any point along the chromatid and there detailed function is still somewhat undiscovered.

Holocentric chromosomes are capable of producing fragments that will behave normally when undergoing cell division. Unusually, each fragment of the chromosome operates as a single holocentric unit, much like the larger chromosome they originated from and are cut using x-rays.