Consisting of many filaments of chromatin as the result of repeated division of chromonema without separation of filaments.
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poly·tene 'päl-i-.tēn adj relating to, being, or having chromosomes each of which consists of many strands with the corresponding chromomeres in contact
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poly·tene (polґe-tēn) [poly- + Gr. tainia band] composed of or containing many identical strands of chromatin lying in parallel; see under chromosome.Medical dictionary. 2011.