Editing Polyploidy (section)

==== Karyotype ====
{{Main|Karyotype}}
A karyotype is the characteristic chromosome complement of a [[eukaryote]] [[species]].<ref>{{cite book| vauthors = White MJ |url= https://archive.org/details/chromosomes01whit |title=The Chromosomes|date=1973|publisher=Chapman & Hall|edition=6th|location=London|page=28|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Stebbins GL |title=Variation and Evolution in Plants|date=1950|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York, NY|chapter=Chapter XII: The Karyotype}}{{page needed|date=September 2013}}</ref> The preparation and study of karyotypes is part of [[cytopathology|cytology]] and, more specifically, [[cytogenetics]].

Although the replication and transcription of DNA is highly standardized in [[eukaryotes]], the same cannot be said for their karyotypes, which are highly variable between species in chromosome number and in detailed organization despite being constructed out of the same macromolecules. In some cases, there is even significant variation within species. This variation provides the basis for a range of studies in what might be called evolutionary cytology.