major histocompatibility complex

noun

, Immunology.

1. MHC.

major histocompatibility complex

noun

1. the full name for MHC

major histocompatibility complex

/ mā′jər /

1. A group of genes that code for cell-surface histocompatibility antigens and are the principal determinants of tissue type and transplant compatibility. They are the most diverse genes in humans and are used to determine if a sample of DNA comes from a specific person.

Example Sentences

That hot spot is on the major histocompatibility complex gene HLA-B, said Kristi Krebs, a pharmacogenomics researcher for the Estonian Genome Center at the University of Tartu.

From Science News