A new method of extracting the altitude curves along chromosomes based on contour line

This study presented a new way of extracting the altitude curves along the chromosomes by atomic force microscopy. Based on the correspondence between the altitude distribution from chromosomes surface and the band structure along the stained chromosomes, topography analysis of chromosomes using atomic force microscopy has the potential of karyotyping without complex chemical banding process. In the experiment, chromosomes prepared in air condition were imaged by atomic force microscopy and altitude curves extracted in conventional way and proposed way were compared to see the differences, which demonstrates that this new extracting method based on contour line has the advantage of taking the deformation caused by chromosomes contraction into consideration.