Cytogenetics is that the study of chromosomal structure, location and performance in cells. It includes the study of chromosome number and appearance (karyotyping), the physical location of genes on chromosomes, and chromosomal behaviour in processes such as cell division.
Cytogenetics may be a branch of pathology and genetics concerned with the study of normal chromosomes and chromosome aberrations. Classical cytogenetics allows microscopic visualization of whole chromosomes so as to assess their number and structure. Molecular cytogenetics uses specialized techniques like fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) to guage submicroscopic chromosomal regions. Both classical and molecular cytogenetic techniques are used to investigate constitutional and purchased chromosome abnormalities. Most recently, next-generation sequencing has been added to the cytogenetic lab arsenal, to allow exact identification of breakpoints in chromosome rearrangements. Each of these techniques will be discussed in more detail in subsequent sections.
High-impact journals are those considered to be highly influential in their respective fields. The impact factor of journal provides quantitative assessment tool for grading, evaluating, sorting and comparing journals of comparable kind. It reflects the typical number of citations to recent articles published in science and science journals during a particular year or period, and is usually used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field. It is first devised by Eugene Garfield, the founding father of the Institute for Scientific Information. The impact factor of a journal is evaluated by dividing the amount of current year citations to the source items published therein journal during the previous two years. Cytogenetics are often defined as that deals with the study of structure and performance of the cell, mainly focussing on the structure and composition of the cell. Cytogenetic tests are usuallly administered during the time of pregnancy to work out any structural or chromosomal abnormalities within the fetus. As the changes occur within the chromosomes, thus disrupting the genes and eventually resulting in the assembly of fatal or abnormal proteins, thereby leading to mild to severe or lethal birth defects.