Germline

How it is used

Often used before another noun: a germline variant is present in every cell from conception and can be inherited, unlike a somatic one. Common phrases are 'germline testing', 'germline mutation', 'in the germline' and 'germline editing'. Some writers spell it 'germ line'.

Example sentences

1. She has a germline BRCA2 variant, so her relatives were offered testing.

2. Because the variant is in the germline, it is present in every cell of the body.

Common collocations

• germline variant
• germline mutation
• germline testing
• in the germline
• germline transmission

Related terms

• somatic mutationA mutation that happens in a body cell after conception. It is not present in egg or sperm cells, so it is not passed on to children.
• germline editingChanging the DNA of eggs, sperm or early embryos, so that the change would be present in every cell of the resulting person and could be passed to future generations.
• inheritanceThe passing of genetic characteristics from parents to their offspring through genes.
• variantA difference in a DNA sequence compared with a reference sequence. It is the neutral word used in clinical genetics, whether the change is harmful or harmless.

More terms: Mutations and Genetic Variation

• mutation
• point mutation
• SNP
• deletion
• frameshift mutation
• pathogenic
• copy number variation