Biology/Can't remember this name of this...
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Question
I can't think of the name of this, but I remember hearing that there is a way to tell how close two species are related to each other by checking how close the number of their (genes?) are to matching each other. Could you please tell me what this is called? Thanks a lot!
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There's a lot of terminology related to this subject, in fact, so let me describe some of the various terms that might apply. The genotype of an organism is the genetic information carried in a person's DNA; determining this information is referred to as genotyping. A karyotype is a visual representations of the actual chromosomes from any organism (it's essentially a picture of the chromosomes themselves, rather than just a description of what genetic information is where). The process you refer to may be karyotyping, the visualization of the chromsomes from an organism; this allows you to count the number of chromosomes and determine, to some extent, the degree of genetic closeness between two species. Chromosome number is not always an ideal way to determine genetic relationships, as seemingly "simple" organisms (like the amoeba) may have a large number of chromosomes relative to higher organisms like mammals. Regardless, here's some more information on the process of karyotyping:
http://www.aneuvysion.com/Karyotyping_287.asp
Enjoy!
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John Locke
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I will answer all biology-related questions through the undergraduate level. I will explain unclear concepts and suggest approaches to solving problems, but would prefer not to completely solve homework problems for you. If you are completely stumped on homework, tell me what you already know and I will help you as much as possible. Please do not ask me for ideas on school research projects; part of research is determining a suitable area of investigation, and that's not a task that should be completed by someone else. Please don't simply send me your homework for solutions. If you are having difficulty after you have started an analysis, I will be happy to direct your thinking; in particular, I would prefer to not simply solve pedigrees for students, but I will be happy to assist in solving pedigrees that you have already started. If you don't understand how to analyze a pedigree, I'd highly recommend watching this video, in which a biology professor explains the basic concepts of pedigree analysis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIHjsn5cHo
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I have a BS in Bioengineering with a concentration in Chemical Engineering (which included a heavy focus on biology), and have taught biology, biochemistry, and related subjects for some time now.
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BS Bioengineering, Penn State University
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