karyotype

American  

[kar-ee-uh-tahyp] / ˈkær i əˌtaɪp /

noun

Genetics.

1. the chromosomes of a cell, usually displayed as a systematized arrangement of chromosome pairs in descending order of size.

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karyotype British  

/ ˈkærɪəˌtaɪp, ˌkærɪəˈtɪpɪk /

noun

1. the appearance of the chromosomes in a somatic cell of an individual or species, with reference to their number, size, shape, etc

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verb

1. to determine the karyotype of (a cell)

karyotype Scientific  

/ kăr′ē-ə-tīp′ /

1. An organized visual profile of the chromosomes in the nucleus of a body cell of an organism. Karyotypes are prepared using cells in the metaphase stage of cell division, when chromosomal strands have coiled together and duplicated, rendering them easily visible under a microscope after staining. Photomicrographs of the stained chromosomes are then arranged in a standard format according to size, the relative position of the centromere, and other criteria. The normal human karyotype consists of 46 chromosomes.

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1. To prepare the karyotype of an organism.

karyotype Cultural  

1. The complete set of chromosomes that constitutes the entire genome of a species. The human karyotype contains forty-six chromosomes, twenty-three from each parent. This set is contained in the nucleus of almost every cell in the body

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Other Word Forms

• karyotypic
  adjective
• karyotypical
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of karyotype

First recorded in 1925–30; karyo- + type

Example Sentences

A karyotype is the number and appearance of chromosomes, and includes their length, banding pattern, and centromere position.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Figure 13.5 This karyotype is of a female human.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

There have been documented cases of patients born with genetically male 46 XY karyotype who have gotten pregnant and gave birth.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2019

The chromosomal nomenclature follows a previous study describing a Beta karyotype at chromosome arm resolution.

From Nature • Jan. 22, 2014

The subject’s XY karyotype was not discovered until puberty, when she began to virilize.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides