Cytogenetics Flashcards
Haploid
Having one copy of each chromosome (N=1) eg. Human gamete
Karyotype
Display of chromosomes by their length
Diploid
Having two copies of each chromosome (N=2) eg. Human somatic cell
Aneuploid
Having one or more extra or missing chromosome
Balanced chromosomal abnormality
No net gain or loss of chromosomal material
Unbalanced chromosomal abnormality
Net gain or loss of chromosomal material
Uniparental disomy
A chromosome pair is derived solely from one parent in the diploid offspring
P and q arms of chromosomes
Short and long arms, respectively
Metacentric chromosome
Both arms are appx equal in length
Submetacentric chromsome
One arm is somewhat shorter than the other
Acrocentric chromosome
One arm is much shorter than the other
Autosome
Any of the chromosomes other than the sex determining chromosomes. In humans, X and Y are the sex chromosomes
Euchromatin
Decondensed (active) form of a chromosomal region
Heterochromatin
Condensed (inactive) form of chromosomal region. Constitutive heterochromatin is always condensed while facultative heterochromatin can become decondensed (active form) in certain circumstances
Chromosome banding
Staining of bands, or chromosome segments, allowing the precise identification of individual chromosomes or parts of chromosomes
Nondisjunction
The failure of the paired chromosome segments, allowing the precise identification of individual chromosomes or parts of chromosomes
Reciprocal translocation
Segments from two different chromosomes have been exchanged
Robertsonian translocation
Joining of two acrocentric chromosomes at the centromeres with loss of their short arms to form a single abnormal chromosome
Inversion
A segment of the chromosome is flipped around and the genetic material is inverted
Meiosis
Cell division by which germ cells are produced. Results in 50% reduction in the number of chromosomes present in gamete producing cells
Mitosis
Type of cell division resulting in two cells with the same number of chromosomes as the parent cell
Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)
Allows distinct DNA segments > 40 kb in length to be visualized with probe DNA. Is used on parafinn embedded specimens. Commonly used to test for over expression of the HER2 gene is breast cancer tissue
Spectral karyotype
Labeling each chromosome with a different dye combination, allowing one to track each chromosome on chromosome spreads. Important for cells with abnormal karyotypes. Requires live cells.
Array CGH (array comparative hybridization)
Does not require living cells. Genomic DNA of interest is labeled with fluorescent dyes and hybridized to slides that have short DNA probes attached to them. Probes can represent virtually all areas of the genome. Based on pattern it is possible to identify insertions and deletions in the genome. Typically uses processed samples