Final answer:
Small nuclear RNA (snRNA) is a critical RNA component of chromatin, involved in the processing of pre-mRNA during the maturation of mRNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the critical components of chromatin beyond DNA and histone proteins, the other type of RNA involved is small nuclear RNA (snRNA). This type of RNA plays a key role in the splicing of pre-mRNA, which is an essential step in the maturation of messenger RNA prior to its translation into a protein. While messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) are directly involved in the synthesis of proteins, snRNA is involved in the essential processing of mRNA.