Cytodeme (original) (raw)

The Cytodeme is the total assembly of organisms that use an identical suite of chromosomes to carry their genes. The term was first printed in the 1950s in a book by Heslop-Harrison. Discussing the Deme Terminology - he continued "cytodeme, a population differing in some distinctive cytological feature from others." In most cases the suite is composed of several pairs of homologous chromosomes with or without a pair of sex chromosomes. Since the only acceptable proof of the identity (homology) of chromosomes lies in their ability to pair fully from end to end during meiosis it follows that: