nuclein
/ˈnukliɪn/
noun
- A substance found in the nucleus of cells, originally identified as a phosphorus-rich material and later understood to be nucleic acid.
- The chemical properties of nuclein helped scientists realize that cell nuclei contain genetic material.
- Friedrich Miescher discovered nuclein in 1869 while studying white blood cells.
- Nuclein was the original name for what we now call DNA.