The color-coded display of metaphase chromosomes. Probes which are unique to each chromosome are constructed by separation of individual chromosomes and their fragmentation into 400 to 500 pieces and labeling with a combination of fluorophores that is unique to each chromosome. Metaphase chromosomes are hybridized with a mixture of these probes and their microscopic image is captured by a charged coupled device (CCD) camera in several tens of thousands of pixels. The fluorescence emission spectrum of each pixel is analyzed to identify the combination of fluorophores from which it is generated and thereby identify the chromosome to which it belongs; each pixel then can be assigned to a chromosome. Each chromosome, therefore each pixel, is arbitrarily assigned its own characteristic color in order to display the color-coded chromosome. Translocations and insertions of chromosome fragments are seen as chromosomes with bands of more than one color. see coincidence painting (chromosome painting)