1. Excessive pigmentation. 2. Increased staining capacity, especially of cell nuclei for hematoxylin. 3. An increase in chromatin in cell nuclei. SYN: hyperchromasia, hyperchromia. [hyper- + G. chroma, color]
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hy·per·chro·ma·tism -'krō-mət-.iz-əm n the development of excess chromatin or of excessive nuclear staining esp. as a part of a pathological process
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n.
the property of the nuclei of certain cells (for example, those of tumours) to stain more deeply than normal.
• hyperchromatic adj.
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hy·per·chro·ma·tism (hi″pər-kroґmə-tiz-əm) [hyper- + chromato- + -ism] excessive pigmentation in the form of a darkly staining cell nucleus, the consequence of an excess of chromatin. Called also hyperchromasia, hyperchromatosis, and hyperchromia.Medical dictionary. 2011.