The part of a chromosome that attaches to the spindle during cell division (see meiosis; mitosis). It is characterized by highly repetitive DNA. Spindle attachment is via a platelike structure called the kinetochore. The position of the centromere is a distinguishing feature of individual chromosomes: a chromosome with the centromere at its centre is described as metacentric; one with the centromere towards one end is acrocentric; and a chromosome with the centromere at either end is telocentric. The centromere usually appears as a constriction when chromosomes contract during cell division.