Karyotype
![Karyogram of human male using Giemsa staining](/Images/godic/202501/14/NHGRI_human_male_karyotype0700.png")
![](/Images/godic/202501/14/Chromosome2_merge0700.png")
![Spectral karyogram of a human female](/Images/godic/202501/14/Sky_spectral_karyotype0700.png")
![Spectral human karyotype](/Images/godic/202501/14/Spectralkaryotype98-3000700.jpg")
A karyotype (from Greek κάρυον karyon, "kernel", "seed", or "nucleus", and τύπος typos, "general form") is the number and appearance of chromosomes in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell. The term is also used for the complete set of chromosomes in a species, or an individual organism.