Karyotype is a term used in cytogenetics to describe chromosomes in terms of number, size, and shape. In other words, the term refers to both the chromosomal count as well as chromosomal physical appearance. Karyotype also means the procedure through which a photographic representation of the chromosomes is developed. Here, the chromosomes are induced, stained, and observed under a microscope, and a photograph is taken. This photograph is then cut into pieces, arranged and numbered according to the sizes of the chromosomes beginning with the largest to the smallest.
Karyotypes are important for two major reasons; first, they enable detection of chromosomal anomalies, which is critical for diagnosis. Secondly, they offer an in-depth understanding of the root causes of genetic disorders, birth defects, and in recent years, cancer.
The prefix karyo- (from Greek, “nut” or “kernel”) refers to the nucleus of a cell. The suffix -type is used for many printing or photographic processes (daguerreotype, linotype). A karyotype is the number and visual appearance that identifies the different chromosomes in a person’s cells.
Doctors create depictions of karyotypes from cells drawn in a blood sample, by swabbing the inside of the cheek, or from a bone marrow sample. When testing the chromosomes of a fetus still in the womb, they’ll draw some of the amniotic fluid that contains the fetus’s cells.
Karyotypes will reveal the gender of an unborn baby. They help doctors determine if a birth defect is present in a fetus or if someone is carrying a gene that would create birth defects in their children. They can also be used to indicate the best treatment for certain types of cancer, though this isn’t always accurate, because cancer tends to damage chromosomes.
https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-is-a-karyotype-test
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