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​Haplotype

updated: December 10, 2024

Definition

A haplotype is a physical grouping of genomic variants (or polymorphisms) that tend to be inherited together. A specific haplotype typically reflects a unique combination of variants that reside near each other on a chromosome.

 Haplotype


Narration

Haplotype. A haplotype refers to a set of DNA variants along a single chromosome that tend to be inherited together. They tend to be inherited together because they are close to each other on the chromosome, and recombinations between these variants are rare. A haplotype can be limited to a single gene or it can be larger and include multiple genes.

Leslie Biesecker
Leslie G. Biesecker, M.D.

Director & NIH Distinguished Investigator

Center for Precision Health Research