Cytotaxonomy

/ˌsaɪtoʊtæksˈɒnəmi/ noun

Definition

The classification and identification of organisms based on the structure, number, and arrangement of their cells and chromosomes.

Etymology

From 'cyto-' (cell) + 'taxonomy' (classification system). Developed significantly after the 1950s when chromosome visualization techniques improved dramatically.

Kelly Says

Cytotaxonomy discovered that wheat species with very similar appearances actually have wildly different chromosome counts (diploid, tetraploid, hexaploid)—proving that looks can be completely deceiving in biology.

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