Sock Chromosome Karyotyping
Overview
A unique spin on cut n’ paste karyotyping, students create a karyotype, or profile of a “human’s chromosomes”,
by cutting and pasting paper sock-chromosomes.
Appropriate Age group
6-10th grade, after learning about heredity and chromosomes.
Objectives
Students will be able to see a normal human chromosome profile. Students will learn how changes in the
profile can cause disease, possibly a rare disease. The activity will initiate discussion about the definition of
a rare disease, their prevalence, and implications.
Students will learn that changes in our genetic makeup may or may not affect whether a person has a
disease
Time Length
1 class period
Materials
Scissors (one pair for 1-2 students)
Glue or tape
Sock Chromsome Random Activity Sheet (one copy per student or student pair) & blank sheet
Procedure
1. Cut out chromosomes,
2. “Match” chromosomes to create pairs and make a human karyotype (profile of 46 human
chromosomes). Sort pairs largest to smallest and leave unmatched “pairs” for the end.
3. Glue or tape down chromosome pairs, identify any unmatched pairs and number the chromosome
pairs. Females have 23 pairs; males have 22 pairs and an unmatched set.
4. Discussion on alterations to karyotypes will follow activity:
a. Some genetic disorders are caused by varience in chromosomes.
i. Down’s Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome, and Turner’s Syndrome involve aneuploidy (an
abnormal number of chromosomes)
ii. Other disorders are characterized by a mistake in one or more chromosomes
b. Males and females are distinguished by having XX chromosomes (female) or XY chromosomes
(male)
Accommodations
Students who cannot use scissors can give verbal directions to another student.
Additional Information
When a geneticist would do this, they would take a picture of the chromosomes condensed during mitosis (cell
division) under a microscope, cut them out and arrange them as matching pairs. Instead of the 23
chromosomes that the students used, they would have all 46 and would then have to identify which
chromosome was which.
Resources
Karyotype Q&A: http://www.biology-questions-and-answers.com/karyotype.html
Electronic version of activity: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/traits/karyotype/
800-11000-0079
11/11