Lecture 5 - Clinical Cytogenetics Flashcards
What is cytogenetics?
It is the study of chromosomes and their abnormalities
What is a karyotype?
The number and type of chromosomes present in an individual
What is the actual printed display of chromosomes called?
A karyogram
How are chromosomes classified?
According to size, then shape
What different kinds of shapes are their for chromosomes?
Metacentric (centromere in middle); Acrocentric (centromere near tip); and Submetacentric (between middle and tip)
What would the karyotype designation of a normal female be?
46,XX
What is the karyotype of a male with Down’s syndrome?
47,XY + 21
What is the karyotype of Turner’s Syndrome?
45,X
What can be done to the chromosomes in a lab setting for a karyogram?
There are many different stains and techniques to visualize chromosomes
What is FISH?
A technique in which a labelled probe (ssDNA) is hybridized to metaphase, prophase, or interphase chromosomes
What can FISH be used for and how?
To test for missing or additional chromosomal material as well as chromosome rearrangements. In a normal person, the probe will bind in 2 places. If it is in only 1 spot, then the patient probably has a deletion in the other chromosome.
What is spectral karyotyping?
A special form of the FISH technique to simultaneously visualize all the chromosomes in various colors
What is CGH and what is it used for?
Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) can be used to detect deletions or duplications of whole chromosomes or regions
What are the differences between CGH versus Array CGH?
Array CGH can locate abnormalities at a higher resolution, while CGH can’t see deletions/duplications <5-10Mb
What is a disadvantage of FISH?
You have to know what you are looking for
What is euploid?
A cell that contains a multiple of 23 chromosomes
What is polyploidy?
The presence of a complete set of extra chromosomes
What are some examples of polyploidy in humans? Give the karyotypes for your examples.
Triploidy (69,XXX) ; Tetraploidy (92,XXXX)
What is the most common cause of triploidy?
The fertilization of an egg by two sperm (dispermy)
What are some other causes of triploidy?
The fusion of an ovum with a polar body, then fertilization by a sped. Also, meiotic failure which results in a diploid egg or sperm being produced.
How can you get a tetraploid baby?
Mitotic failure in the early embryo where all of the duplicated chromosomes migrate to one of the two daughter cells.
What is aneuploidy?
Cells with missing or additional individual chromosomes (not multiple of 23)