Genetic Function
germ-line mutation
Subclass of:
Mutation
Definitions related to germ-line mutation:
  • (germline mutation) Any mutation that appears in the gametes and which will therefore be transmitted to the progeny with some frequency.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Any detectable and heritable alteration in the lineage of germ cells. Mutations in these cells (i.e., "generative" cells ancestral to the gametes) are transmitted to progeny while those in somatic cells are not.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • (hereditary mutation) A gene change in the body's reproductive cells (egg or sperm) that becomes incorporated into the DNA of every cell in the body of offspring; germline mutations are passed on from parents to offspring.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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