Final answer:
When DNA and its attached proteins are spread out in the nucleus of non-dividing cells, it is called chromatin. Chromatin is a fine filamentous network of DNA that exists in the nucleus during the resting phase of the cell cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
When DNA and its attached proteins are spread out in the nucleus of non-dividing cells, it is called chromatin. Chromatin is a fine filamentous network of DNA that exists in the nucleus during the resting phase of the cell cycle. It is only when the cell is about to divide that the chromatin condenses and coils into the familiar X-shaped form of a chromosome.