Basic chromosome definitions and staining techniques

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 3, 268 - 283, 30.08.2025

Nihan Küçük Yılmaz , Ceren Börçek Kasurka , Yasemin Esin Aydın , Aleyna Kaya

Abstract

The essential molecules that preserve genetic information, control expression, and guarantee accurate and complete transfer are chromosomes. Any disruption in any of these stages will also be reflected in the organism. Therefore, understanding the "normal" of chromosomes—such as normal packing or normal separation—is crucial for identifying the root causes of disorders.
From a health sciences perspective, identifying the relationship between chromosomes and disorders is the first step toward diagnoses, advanced research for numerous diseases, and even treatment recommendations. While more complicated, quick, and accurate methods have emerged due to methodological developments, traditional chromosomal approaches continue to be the most important and innovative in many labs.
In the context of all mentioned above, this review gives a general overview of the packaging and classification of eukaryotic chromosomes as well as the grouping of human chromosomes. It also presents the basic concepts underlying the G, C, Q, R, and T banding and NOR staining techniques and discusses their consequences for human chromosomes.

Keywords

chromosome structure , banding techniques , chromosome classification

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