-tene

Word Origin

a combining form meaning “ribbon,” used in biology to form compound nouns that refer to the shape or number of chromosomes involved in meiosis:

leptotene; pachytene; diplotene.

Origin

< French -tène (in scientific compounds) < Latin taenia taenia

Related Words

diplotene
leptotene
pachytene
polytene chromosome
zygotene

-tene

adjective combining form

ETYMOLOGY French -tène, from Latin taenia ribbon, band — more at taenia

: having (such or so many) chromosomal filaments
polytene
pachytene

noun combining form
: stage of meiotic prophase characterized by (such) chromosomal filaments
diplotene
pachytene

-tene|tiːn|f. Gr. ταινία band, ribbon, used in Cytology as a formative element of terms denoting stages of the first meiotic division (in nomenclature due to H. von Winiwarter 1900, in Arch. de Biol. XVII).

-tene /ti:n/ suffix.

ORIGIN: Greek tainia band, ribbon.

Cytology. Forming nouns denoting stages of the first meiotic division, as diplotene, leptotene, pachytene, zygotene.

-tene
I. \ˌtēn\ noun combining form
(-s)
Etymology: Latin or Greek; Latin taenia ribbon, band, from Greek tainia — more at taenia
: stage of meiotic prophase characterized by (such) chromosomal filaments
< diplotene >
< pachytene >
II. \ˌtēn\ adjective combining form
Etymology: -tene, noun comb. form
: having (such or so many) chromosomal filaments
< polytene >
< pachytene >

-tene

Suffix

biology Ribbon-like structure; Used to form words relating the structure of chromosones in meiosis

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ταινία (tainía, “ribbon, band, fillet”)

Derived terms

English words suffixed with -tene