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The answer to this question is not a simple one. To better understand the answer, we must first look at what happens during interphase. Interphase is an important part of cell division because it prepares the cell for mitosis and cytokinesis. The chromosomes are visible during this phase because they are spread out evenly throughout the nucleus of the cell rather than being coiled up like in prophase or metaphase. However, to observe individual chromosomes with a light microscope you would need to use electron microscopes- which means that you cannot see them in living cells!
A good way around this conundrum is immunofluorescence staining techniques where antibodies specific to DNA will stain just those areas of each chromosome where sequence codes for protein
-The cells are too thick to see individual chromosomes.
-There is not enough light for the microscope because of this thickness and it does not penetrate deep into a cell, so we cannot see anything.
-We have to try another technique for studying interphase chromosomes like karyotyping or GISH which requires chemical markers that attach themselves onto specific chromosome sections.
-Since they require more time than ordinary microscopes, these techniques make observations during mitosis easier by making the process go faster and giving a higher resolution image in order to distinguish between different types of tissues such as muscle tissue versus bone tissue where there may be many similar looking cells with very small differences detectable only at high magnification.
This content was developed for a Molecular Biology course at the University of Lethbridge. Chromosomes during Interphase: -Difficult to observe with light microscope, thickness and not able to penetrate deep into cell; need another technique like karyotyping or GISH which are slower than ordinary microscopes but give better resolution in order to distinguish between different types of tissues such as muscle tissue versus bone tissue where there may be many similar looking cells. -Results in faster process when observing mitosis because more detail can be made out with chemical markers that attach themselves onto specific chromosome sections that make it easier to see details and differentiate them from other chromosomes. -Subtleties in difference only detectable by high magnification so why we use these
