mode of inheritance
(… in-HAYR-ih-tunts)
The manner in which a genetic trait, disorder, or risk of disorder is passed from one generation to the next. There are different modes of inheritance, and each mode of inheritance may result in a characteristic pattern of affected, unaffected, or at-risk individuals within a family. Examples are autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive, and multifactorial inheritance.