Chromosome Banding Techniques

Abstract

The most extensively exploited and paradoxically the least well understood property of chromosomes is that of displaying along their arms a succession of more or less strongly coloured bands after staining or other special treatments. These reproducible and distinctive banding patterns are characteristic to each chromosome. They permit the identification of chromosomes, the construction of karyotypes, detailed description of chromosomal or structural rearrangements, localisation of markers and the comparison of chromosomes within a species or between closely or distantly related species. However, the understanding of chromosome banding mechanisms is far from complete and the explanations proposed in the literature are hypothetical. This chapter describes the types of structures and more exactly, the types of bands which can be observed in chromosomes and their known characteristics.