General Biology
Name_____________________________________________________Block_____________
Karyotyping Online Activity
In this activity, you will use a computer model to look at chromosomes and prepare a karyotype. You
will diagnose patients for abnormalities and learn the correct notation for characterizing karyotypes.
1. Go to the following website to begin: www.biology.arizona.edu
2. Click on Karyotyping under human biology and read the Introduction page:
3. What causes a dark band on the chromosome? _____________________________________
4. What is a centromere? _______________________________________________________
5. Patient Histories: Click on Patient Histories. You will be completing a karyotype for Patient A, B & C
Patient A ( Click on the link to "Complete Patient A's Karyotype" )
*Match the chromosome to its homolog. After all the matches are complete you'll analyze your patient.
(Scroll down to view your completed karyotype).
6. What is patient A's history (summarize) ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
7. How many total chromosomes are in your karyotype? (count them) _________
8. The last set of chromosomes is the sex chromosomes, if you have two large chromosomes, your
patient is XX (female), one large and one small indicates and XY (male) . What sex chromosomes
does your patient have? ________
9. Which chromosome set has an extra chromosome? _______
10. What diagnosis would you give this patient (what disease)? ______________
Patient B ­ click on the link to go to Patient B and repeat the above process.
11. What is Patient B's history (summarize) ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
12. How many total chromosomes are in your karyotype? (count them) _________
13. What sex chromosomes does your patient have? ________
14. Which chromosome set has an extra chromosome? _______
15. Finish the notation for this patient's karyotype : 47, X _____
16. What is the diagnosis? __________________________________
General Biology
Patient C ­ click on the link to go to Patient C and repeat the above process.
17. What is patient C's history (summarize)? _________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
18. How many total chromosomes are in your karyotype? (count them) _________
19. What sex chromosomes does your patient have? ________
20. Which chromosome set has an extra chromosome? _______
21. Write out the correct notation for this karyotype. ________
22. What is the diagnosis? _________________________________________
Conclusion
Using the Internet, research all three of the following genetic disorders and describe the physical and
mental characteristics of each individual.
1. Down's Syndrome
2. Klinefelter's Syndrome
3. Trisomy 13 Syndrome
4. When or under what circumstances should someone consider having a karyotype created?
5. Research amniocentesis and describe the procedure.
6. What are some of the possible drawbacks of having a karyotype created from the cells of an
unborn child (amniocentesis)?
7. If you found out that your unborn child had a significant, but not fatal, birth defect after having a
karyotype prepared, what would you do?
Extra Credit ­ http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/~bio/karyotypes.htm
Pick from the list of abnormal karyotypes (one of the letters E­X) and arrange the chromosomes in a
karyotype. Use the "print screen" button to copy your finished karyotype onto a word processing
document. For "Diagnosis" write the chromosome set that has the abnormality, and what type of
abnormality it is. Print this page out and turn it in.