Chromosomes contain the hereditary information of the cell.
Genes are located on chromosomes, thus, it is important to study the structure and behavior of chromosomes to understand the inheritance of a trait. Despite its importance to U. S. agriculture, cytogenetic research on alfalfa and its closely related species has lagged far behind other crops mainly due to four difficulties. We have been able to overcome some of these difficulties. They are legumes, related to alfalfa. They are sometimes referred to as medics.