Karyotype activities

Learning objectives

To know and identify the main chromosome abnormalities.
To understand the origin of abnormalities affecting chromosome number.
To arrange randomly displayed chromosomes in order to complete a karyotype.

A karyotype provides meaningful information regarding the overall chromosome makeup of the cell. Translocations, deletions, inversions are some chromosome structural abnormalities that can be analysed along with chromosome numerical abnormalities. A try-it-yourself activity will teach you how chromosomes should be arranged in order to further study these abnormalities.