The primary role of karyotyping in genetics is to visualize and analyze an organism's chromosomes to identify chromosomal abnormalities. A karyotype is a photograph or representation of an individual’s complete set of chromosomes, organized by size and shape. This analysis helps in diagnosing genetic disorders, determining chromosome number (e.g., in cases of Down syndrome), and understanding evolutionary relationships among species. Karyotyping is a fundamental tool in both clinical and research genetics.