In genetics, describing a gene or allele that appears only once in a cell or organism, typically on the X chromosome in males.
From Greek 'hemi-' (half) plus 'azygous' (from 'a-' meaning without, plus 'zygon' meaning yoke or pair). The term emerged in genetics in the early 1900s to describe genes not paired with a partner allele.
Male mammals are hemiazygous for X-linked genes—they inherit only one X chromosome from mom, so if that single X carries a disease gene, they'll have the disease, whereas females with two X chromosomes might be carriers without symptoms.
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