Banding Techniques

Elisabeth Blennow, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Published online: January 2006

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0005777

A large number of chromosome banding techniques have been developed, giving each chromosome a unique banding pattern which may be used to identify chromosome abnormalities. In addition, other selective staining techniques may be used to study specific chromosome regions.

Keywords: chromosome staining; chromosome banding; fragile site; sister chromatid exchange

Figure 1. Q-banded metaphase. Note the brightly stained Y chromosome.
Figure 2. G-banded metaphase.
Figure 3. C-banded metaphase.
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 References
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    Seabright M (1971) A rapid banding technique for human chromosomes. The Lancet 2: 971–972.
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    book Wegner RD (ed.) (1999) Diagnostic Cytogenetics Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
    Yunis JJ (1981) Mid-prophase human chromosomes: the attainment of 2000 bands. Human Genetics 56: 293–298.

Related Sub-Topics:

Techniques in Cell Biology | Nucleic Acid Structure | Sample Preparation in Structural Biology | Chromosomes and Chromatin Modifications | Techniques and Tools in Molecular Biology
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Article Title: Banding Techniques
 
How to Cite close
Blennow, Elisabeth(Jan 2006) Banding Techniques. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0005777]