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haplotype

biology
Also known as: haploid genotype

Quick Summary

A haplotype is a group of alleles on a single chromosome that are inherited together as a unit. The term "haplo-" means single, referring to the fact that a haplotype represents a set of alleles on one chromosome, as opposed to the pair of alleles inherited from both parents (the genotype).123

The International HapMap Project aimed to create a map of human haplotypes to identify genetic variations contributing to human diseases. By mapping these haplotypes, scientists can associate specific genetic variants with particular diseases. This approach is more efficient than analyzing each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) individually, as a haplotype region contains multiple SNPs that can be tagged to understand their association with traits or diseases.4

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