HiPer® G-Banding Teaching Kit

G-banding is the most widely used banding method for chromosome analysis. Prepared and aged slides are treated with the enzyme trypsin and then stained with Giemsa. This produces a series of light and dark bands that allow positive identification of each chromosome. The dark bands are A-T rich, late replicating, heterochromatic regions of the chromosomes while the light bands are C-G rich, early replicating, euchromatic regions. The G light bands are biologically more significant because they represent the active regions of the chromosomes while the G-dark bands contain relatively few active genes. In addition to a distinct banding pattern, individual chromosomes are identified according to their size and centromere position.