A karyotype is a visual display of chromosomes arranged in numerical order. It is used to determine what characteristics?

• A. Size
• B. Number and Structure
• C. Color
• D. Sequence

Answer: (B)

A karyotype is used to assess chromosome number and structure. By displaying all chromosomes in a standard order, it lets you see whether there are the correct numbers of chromosomes or if there are extra or missing ones (anomalies), and it reveals large structural changes such as translocations, deletions, duplications, or inversions. This is how conditions like trisomies or monosomies are diagnosed and how rearrangements in chromosomes are identified. Color labeling or staining helps visualize the patterns but does not define a chromosome’s genetic content; sequencing the actual base order is required to know the DNA sequence. So, the primary purpose is determining number and structure.