One cell wonder.Regarding the story about using comparative genomic hybridization hybridization /hy·brid·iza·tion/ (hi?brid-i-za´shun) 1. crossbreeding; the act or process of producing hybrids. 2. molecular hybridization 3. on preimplantation cells ("It's a boy! It's a girl! It's a mosaic embryo," SN: 10/28/00, p. 276), your illustration was not of the 23 pairs of chromosomes Chromosomes Spaghetti-like structures located within the nucleus (or central portion) of each cell. Chromosomes contain the genetic information necessary to direct the development and functioning of all cells and systems in the body. from one cell of an embryo. Helen Lawce Portland, Ore. Correct. The chromosomes in the illustration depict DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. from an embryonic cell Noun 1. embryonic cell - a cell of an embryo formative cell cell - (biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and that has bonded, or hybridized, with DNA from a normal mate. The caption should have read, "The hybridization technique pictured here helped scientists inspect all 23 chromosome pairs from a cell of a preimplantation embryo for the first time." |
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