Final answer:
A karyotype is a visual representation of an individual's chromosomes, showing the number, size, shape, banding patterns, and centromere positions, organized into a chart known as a karyogram or ideogram.
Step-by-step explanation:
A visual representation of the number, size, and shape of chromosomes is called a karyotype. This includes important details such as their length, banding pattern, and centromere position.
A karyotype is typically obtained by cytologists who photograph the chromosomes during cell division, often after applying fluorescent stains that produce distinct colors or banding patterns. These photographs are used to cut and paste each chromosome into an organized chart or karyogram, also referred to as an ideogram. Viewing a karyotype is a crucial method used in cytogenetics to identify and analyze chromosomal abnormalities in humans, which can lead to further understanding of genetic conditions and diseases.
By staining chromosomes to create a karyotype, distinctive patterns are revealed similar to barcodes, which enables routine identification of individual chromosomes. This is not only fundamental in clinical diagnostics but also played a vital role in projects like the Human Genome Project.