Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

genetic heterogeneity

(jeh-NEH-tik HEH-teh-roh-jeh-NEE-ih-tee)
A term that describes when different gene mutations (changes) cause the same disease or condition. Genetic heterogeneity occurs when a single gene has different mutations (allelic heterogeneity) or when there are mutations in different genes (locus heterogeneity), and in both cases the same disease or condition occurs. For example, tuberous sclerosis (an inherited disorder in which tumors form in the kidneys, brain, eyes, heart, lungs, and skin) is caused by having mutations in a gene on chromosome 9 or chromosome 16.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms