Missing heritability

Missing heritability refers to the gap between the genetic factors we know about and the total genetic influence on complex traits or diseases. Even with advanced tools, scientists have identified some genes linked to conditions like diabetes or depression, but these known factors only explain part of the observed inheritance. The remaining "missing" part suggests other genetic elements—such as rare variants, gene interactions, or regulatory regions—are involved but not yet fully understood. Ultimately, missing heritability highlights our ongoing challenge to fully map the genetic architecture of complex traits.