- karyotype
- The chromosome characteristics of an individual cell or of a cell line, usually presented as a systematized array of metaphase chromosomes from a photomicrograph of a single cell nucleus arranged in pairs in descending order of size and according to the position of the centromere. SYN: idiogram (1), karyogram. [karyo- + G. typos, model]
* * *
kar·yo·type 'kar-ē-ə-.tīp n the chromosomal characteristics of a cell also the chromosomes themselves or a representation of themkar·yo·typ·ic .kar-ē-ə-'tip-ik adjkar·yo·typ·i·cal·ly -i-k(ə-)lē advkaryotype vt, -typed; -typ·ing to determine or analyze the karyotype of <karyotyped a newborn infant with a suspected genetic anomaly>* * *
1. n. the chromosome set of an individual or species described in terms of both the number and structure of the chromosomes.2. n. the representation of the chromosome set in a diagram.3. vb. to determine the karyotype of a cell, as by microscopic examination.* * *
karyo·type (karґe-o-tīp) [karyo- + type] formally, the symbolic representation, using numbers, letters, and other symbols, of the chromosomal complement of an individual, tissue, or cell line. In practice, the terms karyotype, idiogram and karyogram are often used interchangeably. karyotypic adj
Medical dictionary. 2011.