ABSTRACT
The study of linear banding patterns in the chromosomes has emerged as a powerful tool in identification of chromosome segments. In certain cases, even functionally differentiated regions of chromosome, such as ribosomal or nucleolar regions, have specific banding patterns. The degree of reannealing and the time taken, or reassociation kinetics, is an index of the degree of repeats present in the chromosome. The application of restriction enzyme on chromosome has also resulted in differential staining of segments, with consequent manifestation of bands. Differential banding patterns of chromosomes were initially developed for the analysis of human chromosome segments as low and high intensity regions under the fluorescence microscope or as differentially stained areas under the light microscope. Orcein-positive bands appear in different segments of chromosomes, including the centromeric and intercalary ones. HY-banding was initially applied to somatic chromosomes of some members of the Liliiflorae.
