[Conventional and differential staining technics for observation of mammalian chromosomes]

Conventional staining techniques such as Giemsa, orcein and carmine and several differential staining techniques for the observation of mammalian chromosomes are described in this chapter. The differential staining techniques are described by classifying them into two groups; one group consists of banding stainings involving quinacrine (Q-band) and Giemsa (G-band), while the other involves several differential stainings for observation of the inner-organization of chromosomes, such as the constitutive and facultative heterochromatins, the nucleolar organizer regions and the centromeric regions.