Final answer:
Heterochromatin is tightly associated with histones and is true to being transcriptionally inert due to its compact structure, which inhibits the binding of transcription factors and gene expression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to the student's question is a. True. Heterochromatin is indeed transcriptionally inert because of its tight association with histones. When DNA and histones are heavily methylated, and histones are deacetylated, the nucleosomes pack closely together. This compact structure makes it difficult for transcription factors to access the DNA, thus genes within these regions are typically not expressed. Heterochromatin is a more condensed form of chromatin and is associated with the repression of gene expression, as opposed to euchromatin, which is more loosely packed and associated with active transcription.