the state of having two different forms of a gene (= part of a cell containing DNA information) that controls a particular characteristic, one from each parent, and therefore able to pass on either form

The loss of heterozygosity in both sporadic and hereditary forms of basal cell carcinoma suggests that it functions as a tumour suppressor. 在偶发性和遗传性基底细胞癌中的杂合性缺失表明，它具有肿瘤抑制基因的功能。