Make a Karyotype

A karyotype is an organized profile of a person's chromosomes. Two chromosomes specify sex, XX for female and XY for male. The rest are arranged in pairs, numbered 1 through 22, from largest to smallest. This arrangement helps scientists quickly identify chromosomal alterations that may result in a genetic disorder.

To make a karyotype, scientists take a picture of the chromosome from one cell, cut them out, and arrange them using size, banding pattern, and centromere position as guides.

View a printable PDF of a karyotype
  • Funding

    Funding provided by grant 51006109 from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Precollege Science Education Initiative for Biomedical Research.


APA format:

Genetic Science Learning Center. (2016, March 1) Make a Karyotype. Retrieved March 09, 2024, from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/karyotype/

CSE format:

Make a Karyotype [Internet]. Salt Lake City (UT): Genetic Science Learning Center; 2016 [cited 2024 Mar 9] Available from https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/karyotype/

Chicago format:

Genetic Science Learning Center. "Make a Karyotype." Learn.Genetics. March 1, 2016. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/karyotype/.