| add | 
                            additional material of unknown origin | 
                        
                        
                            | approximate sign (~) | 
                            denotes intervals and boundaries of a chromosome segment or number of chromosomes, fragments, or markers; denotes a range of number of copies of a chromosomal region when the exact number cannot be determined | 
                        
                        
                            | arr | 
                            microarray | 
                        
                        
                            | arrow (-> or →) | 
                            from - to, in detailed system | 
                        
                        
                            | brackets, square ([ ]) | 
                            surround number of cells or genome build | 
                        
                        
                            | cen | 
                            centromere | 
                        
                        
                            | cgh | 
                            comparative genomic hybridization | 
                        
                        
                            | chr | 
                            chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | cht | 
                            chromatid | 
                        
                        
                            | colon, single (:) | 
                            break, in detailed system | 
                        
                        
                            | colon, double (::) | 
                            break and reunion, in detailed system | 
                        
                        
                            | comma (,) | 
                            separates chromosome numbers, sex chromosomes, and chromosome abnormalities, seperates locus designations | 
                        
                        
                            | cp | 
                            composite karyotype | 
                        
                        
                            | decimal point (.) | 
                            denotes sub-bands | 
                        
                        
                            | del | 
                            deletion | 
                        
                        
                            | der | 
                            derivative chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | dic | 
                            dicentric | 
                        
                        
                            | dn | 
                            designates a chromosome abnormality that has not been inherited (de novo) | 
                        
                        
                            | dup | 
                            duplication | 
                        
                        
                            | fra | 
                            fragile site | 
                        
                        
                            | h | 
                            heterochromatin, constitutive | 
                        
                        
                            | hmz | 
                            homozygous, homozygosity; used when one or two copies of a genome are detected, but previous, known heterozygosity has been reduced to homozygosity through a variety of mechanisms, e.g. loss of heterozygosity (LOH) | 
                        
                        
                            | hsr | 
                            homogeneously staining region | 
                        
                        
                            | htz | 
                            heterozygous, heterozygosity | 
                        
                        
                            | i | 
                            isochromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | idic | 
                            isodicentric chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | ins | 
                            insertion | 
                        
                        
                            | inv | 
                            inversion | 
                        
                        
                            | mar | 
                            marker chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | mat | 
                            maternal origin | 
                        
                        
                            | mos | 
                            mosaic | 
                        
                        
                            | p | 
                            short arm of chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | parentheses ( ) | 
                            surround structurally altered chromosomes and breakpoints; surround chromosome numbers, X, and Y in normal and abnormal results; surround coordinates (or nucleotide positions) in abnormal result | 
                        
                        
                            | pat | 
                            paternal origin | 
                        
                        
                            | ps | 
                            satellited short arm of chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | pter | 
                            terminal end of the short arm | 
                        
                        
                            | q | 
                            long arm of chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | qter | 
                            terminal end of the long arm | 
                        
                        
                            | question mark (?) | 
                            questionable identification of a chromosome or chromosome structure | 
                        
                        
                            | r | 
                            ring chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | rec | 
                            recombinant chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | rob | 
                            robertsinian translocation | 
                        
                        
                            | s | 
                            satellite | 
                        
                        
                            | sce | 
                            sister chromatid exchange | 
                        
                        
                            | sdl | 
                            sideline | 
                        
                        
                            | seq | 
                            sequencing | 
                        
                        
                            | slant line, single (/) | 
                            separates clones, or contiguous probes | 
                        
                        
                            | stk | 
                            satellite stalk | 
                        
                        
                            | subtel | 
                            subtelomeric region | 
                        
                        
                            | t | 
                            translocation | 
                        
                        
                            | tas | 
                            telomeric association | 
                        
                        
                            | ter | 
                            terminal (end of chromsome) or telomere | 
                        
                        
                            | upd | 
                            uniparental disomy | 
                        
                        
                            | var | 
                            variant or variable region | 
                        
                    
                    
                        
                            | minus sign (-) | 
                            loss; decrease in length; locus absent from a specific chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | plus sign, single (+) | 
                            additional normal or abnormal chromosomes; increase in length locus present on a specific chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | plus sign, double (++) | 
                            two hybridization signals or hybridization regions on a specific chromosome | 
                        
                        
                            | multiplication sign (x) | 
                            multiple copies of rearranged chromosomes; designates aberrant polyploidy clones in neoplasias; with number to indicate number of signals seen; multiple copies of a chromosome or chromosomal region | 
                        
                        
                            | period (.) | 
                            separates various techniques | 
                        
                        
                            | semicolon (;) | 
                            separates altered chromosomes and breakpoints in structural rearrangements involving more than one chromosome;  seperates probes on different derivative chromosomes | 
                        
                        
                            | FISH | 
                            fluorescence in situ hybridization | 
                        
                        
                            | ish | 
                            in situ hybridization; when used without a prefix applies to metaphase or prometaphase chromosomes of dividing cells | 
                        
                        
                            | wcp | 
                            whole chromosome paint |