How long for karyotype results

The prefix "karyo" refers to the fact that the nucleus of the cell is studied, and the base word "type" refers to the fact that the test is a characterisation, or analysis of the character.

Put together, the word karyotype means a characterisation of the cell nucleus. Our bodies are made up of billions of cells.

There are many different kinds of cells, including blood cells, skin cells, and bone cells. Our genetic material is contained in a structure within the cell called the nucleus. Every cell in the body, with the exception of the red blood cell, has its own nucleus containing a complete set of genetic material. Inside of a normal nucleus of the cell there are 46 rod-shaped structures called chromosomes. The chromosomes come in pairs, 23 coming from the mother and 23 coming from the father.

Scientists label the chromosomes with numbers, calling them chromosome number 1 through chromosome number The 23rd pair of chromosomes are the sex chromosomes, normally two X's for a female or one X and one Y chromosome for a male. The chromosomes vary in size according to the number, with chromosome number 1 being the largest and chromosome number 22 being labelled the smallest of the numbered chromosomes.

The X chromosome is about the same size as the number 7 chromosome, and the Y chromosome is much smaller, about the size of a number 21 or 22 chromosome. Each chromosome contains hundreds or thousands of genes, depending on the size of the chromosome.

Your baby or young child may need a test if he or she has signs of a genetic disorder. There are many types of genetic disorders, each with different symptoms. You and your health care provider can talk about whether testing is recommended. If you are a woman, you may need a karyotype test if you've had trouble getting pregnant or have had several miscarriages. While one miscarriage is not uncommon, if you have had several, it may be due to a chromosomal problem.

You may also need a karyotype test if you have symptoms of or have been diagnosed with leukemia , lymphoma , or myeloma , or a certain type of anemia. These disorders can cause chromosomal changes. For a karyotype test, your provider will need to take a sample of your cells. The most common ways to get a sample include:. Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy. If you are being tested for or treated for a certain type of cancer or blood disorder, your provider may need to take a sample of your bone marrow.

For this test:. There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. Amniocentesis and CVS tests are usually very safe procedures, but they do have a slight risk of causing a miscarriage. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of these tests. After a bone marrow aspiration and biopsy test, you may feel stiff or sore at the injection site.

This usually goes away in a few days. Your health care provider may recommend or prescribe a pain reliever to help. If your results were abnormal not normal, it means you or your child has more or fewer than 46 chromosomes, or there is something abnormal about the size, shape, or structure of one or more of your chromosomes. Abnormal chromosomes can cause a variety of health problems. The symptoms and severity depend on which chromosomes have been affected. If you were tested because you have a certain type of cancer or blood disorder, your results can show whether or not your condition is caused by a chromosomal defect.

These results can help your health care provider make the best treatment plan for you. This is a way that we inherit our DNA library from both our genetic parents. Cells keep their DNA in a place called the nucleus. Here the DNA is arranged in volumes called chromosomes. Each chromosome is made up of hundreds or thousands of genes they can be different sized. If chromosomes are the volumes of the DNA library, genes are the pages. Genes code for all kinds of proteins that determine our physical traits.

This is necessary for cells to function normally and in the case of sperm and eggs, to make healthy human babies. Humans are supposed to have 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent, arranged in pairs. There are 22 chromosomes known as autosomes and apair of sex chromosomes, either XX female or XY male.

When the autosomes chromosomes 1 to 22 were discovered and numbered, they were allocated a number in order of their size, which varies. Number 1 is the biggest autosome and number 22 is the smallest. The X chromosome is much bigger than the Y chromosome, which is one of the smallest chromosomes. Karyotypes can be abnormal in many ways.

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Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction. Korean J Urol. J Clin Diagn Res. Kallmann syndrome. Updated December Genetic Considerations in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

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