A karyotype is an individual's complete set of chromosomes, visually represented as an image where chromosomes are isolated from a cell, arranged in numerical order, and organized typically by size, banding pattern, and centromere position

. It shows the number, size, shape, and structure of chromosomes in a cell, usually displayed as 23 pairs in humans, including 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (XX for females, XY for males)

. Karyotyping is the laboratory process used to produce this image, typically by collecting cells, arresting them in metaphase of mitosis when chromosomes are condensed and visible, staining them to reveal characteristic banding patterns, and photographing them for analysis

. The karyotype allows detection of chromosomal abnormalities such as extra or missing chromosomes (aneuploidy), deletions, duplications, inversions, and translocations, which can be important for diagnosing genetic disorders and cancers

. Clinically, karyotyping is used in prenatal diagnosis, infertility investigations, miscarriage analysis, and cancer genetics. It provides a genome-wide overview but has a resolution limit, generally detecting changes larger than 5–10 megabases

. Although newer techniques like microarrays offer higher resolution, karyotyping remains valuable for identifying structural rearrangements and balanced chromosomal changes

. In summary, a karyotype is both the complete chromosomal complement of an individual and the visual representation of this set used for genetic and clinical analysis