How are the chromosomes different?
Each chromosome is different from other chromosomes. Importantly, each chromosome carries different genes. For example, chromosome 1 carries a different set of genes than chromosome 5. Under a microscope, chromosomes even look different from one another. As you can see in the above karyotype, some chromosomes are larger than other chromosomes. In addition, each of the chromosomes has a unique banding pattern. These bands are used to identify the different sections of each chromosome. Near the center of each chromosome is a constricted region that divides the chromosome into two arms. The constricted region is called the centromere. The shorter arm of each chromosome is called the “p” arm, and the longer arm of the chromosome is called the “q” arm.
Related Questions
- In the "Integrated Maps" section of rs55956772, it appears that each assembly maps the refSNP to different chromosomes without overlap. Is this due to small flanking sequence?
- How is the structure of chromosomes in eukaryotes different from the structure of chromosomes in prokaryotes?
- Do males have different chromosomes than females?