Author: Levitsky, G.A.:
Title: The morphology of chromosomes. Separate copy of the "Bulletin of Applied Botany, of Genetics and Plant Breeding", Vol. XXVII No. 1.
Description: Leningrad 1931. Large 8vo, 25cm. Pp. 19-174, many figs. on 15 plates, 35 figs. in text, refs. Orig. printed wrs. Spine mended. - Russian text with full English translation. - Rare offprint of the paper containing the introduction of the term "karyotype": "The term karyotype was introduced by Levitsky. At that time, it was meant to describe nuclear morphology (as its Greek meaning explains). In 1931, Levitsky wrote 'Me personally, used the term karyotype to define the characteristics of the nuclei from one or a group of organisms.' As in plant nuclei chromosomes were easily visualized, the karyotyping or looking at nuclei became synonymous. Because of this, the term has taken on its current definition as describing the particular chromosome complement of an individual, as defined by the number and morphology of the chromosomes. Thus, the meaning of the word 'karyotype' has evolved and is time and context dependent. Karyotyping was the first genome-wide screening tool for chromosomal imbalances and – in addition – enables the identification of chromosomal translocations. [...]" (J.R. Vermeesch and A. Rauch, European Journal of Human Genetics (2006) 14.)

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