Use in clinical context
A zygote is formed at fertilisation when a sperm and egg fuse. This cell then divides to form an embryo and ultimately a foetus. Any genetic variants in the zygote will be passed on to all subsequent daughter cells and so will be present in all cells in the individual.
Related terms
Cell | Egg (gamete) | Fertilisation | Genetic/genomic variation | Germline | Mosaicism | Sperm
