Nonpenetrant trait
A genetic trait (characteristic) that is present in the genome but does not manifest itself in the individual. By contrast, a penetrant trait is one that manifests itself.
If, for example, if 100 people have a particular genetic trait but only 80 of them express it, the penetrance of that trait is 80%. The trait is nonpenetrant in 20% of people who have it.
Read Also:
- Nonrandom
Not by chance alone. Not in keeping with the process by which an outcome is determined solely by chance, for example, by a coin flip. The opposite of nonrandom is random.
- Nonseminoma
A type of testicular cancer that arises in specialized sex cells called germ cells that give rise to sperm. Nonseminomas include embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, choriocarcinoma, and yolk sac tumor.
- Nonsense mutation
A mutation (a change) in a base in the DNA that prematurely stops the translation (reading) of messenger RNA (mRNA) resulting in a polypeptide chain that ends prematurely and a protein product that is truncated (abbreviated) and incomplete and usually nonfunctional. The nonsense mutation converts a codon (a triplet of bases) that encodes an amino […]
- Nonstructural scoliosis
A structurally normal spine that appears to have a lateral curve (scoliosis). Nonstructural scoliosis involves a temporary change of spinal curvature. This is caused by an underlying condition such as a difference in leg length, muscle spasms, or inflammatory conditions, (e.g. appendicitis), which may produce muscle spasm. Correcting the underlying problem treats this type of […]
- Nonsyndromic
Not part of a syndrome. Hearing loss, for instance, can be syndromic or nonsyndromic.