The term karyotype has meanings: on the only hand, it determines the configuration of the chromosomes of a person or an organism, and on the other hand, it also describes a way utilized in scientific diagnosis via which chromosomes from a biological sample are analyzed. Want to know more about the karyotype and how it works? Continue studying!
From chromosomes to
karyotype
Before explaining what a karyotype consists of, it's far vital to make clear what chromosomes are. As you could already read in different articles on our weblog, DNA is our genetic map of existence, that's in our cells and incorporates all of the essential instructions for the frame to function properly.
DNA is a spiral staircase or double helix molecule of four letters A, C, G and T, positioned within the nucleus of a cellular. Did you realize that if we stretch the DNA molecule of 1 cell, it will grow extra than meters in duration? To accommodate all DNA in cells, it's far packed and compacted into a shape referred to as chromatin. When cells divide, DNA reaches its maximum compression ratio and bureaucracy chromosomes.
If we turn to the first that means of the karyotype, we can say that humans have a karyotype inclusive of 23 pairs of chromosomes, every pair inheriting one chromosome from the daddy and the other from the mom. The primary 22 pairs of chromosomes are known as autosomal, and the twenty third pair are intercourse chromosomes, and that they differ relying at the biological sex of the person.
It should be noted that the chromosomal composition is characteristic for every species. As we've got already seen, the human chromosome set includes 23 pairs of chromosomes, for a total of 46 chromosomes, even as the dog chromosome set consists of seventy eight chromosomes, and the elephants have 56 chromosomes.
To summarize, we are able to say that chromosomes are DNA packets which can be packed as tightly as possible and may simplest be reached all through cell department.
Karyotype within the
laboratory
As cited earlier, karyotype also refers back to the chromosomal analysis of human cells. With this test, we will locate changes in the variety or shape of chromosomes related to numerous pathologies. Here is an instance of a human karyotype:
Karyotype
As you could see within the photograph, 22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes have the identical copies, while 23 pairs have special chromosomes, X and Y, so in this case the karyotype corresponds to a male man or woman. If 23 pairs have been X / X, the karyotype could be lady.
How is the karyotype
done?
First, we need to get a pattern of the patient's cells. Depending on who is being examined, the cells are usually acquired from the blood of an adult or from the amniotic fluid or chorionic villi if the test is done at the fetus.
As cited in advance, mobile DNA is only packaged into chromosomes throughout mobile department or mitosis, so step one in performing a karyotype is to grow the cells. This technique typically takes numerous days until the cell way of life produces sufficient dividing cells.
As soon as we've a enough quantity of cells, the use of some of materials starts with unique functions. First of all, it is essential to forestall mitosis in the so-known as metaphase in order that the chromosomes become visible. For this, a special substance is used that interferes with the structure of cell department, referred to as the mitotic spindle. The cells are then subjected to hypotonic surprise, with the assist of which we force the mobile to enlarge in quantity without destruction, so one can facilitate the visualization of the chromosomes. Finally, cell fixation is finished, which ruptures the cytoplasmic membranes and fixes chromosomes, getting rid of membranes, cytoplasms and numerous organelles in order to gain a pattern of most effective the nucleus without changing or deforming its contents. During this manner, it's far very vital to govern the awareness and time of publicity to numerous materials, for the reason that they can change the satisfactory of the karyotype.
Once the sample practise is entire, the very last step so as to be able to analyze the chromosomes is to smear it on a microscope slide, a small glass tool with which we can location the pattern so that it may be regarded below the microscope. To facilitate the analysis assignment, the pattern undergoes a staining method that e