Edit page | Page history | Printable version

karyotype

noun

The characterization of the chromosomal complement of a species.

The karyotype of an organism is usually displayed in photomicrographs wherein chromosomes are arranged in homologous pairs, and in descending order of size and relative position of the centromere.

Karyotype is used to study chromosomal aberrations, cellular function, or taxonomic relationships, or to gather information about past evolutionary events.