Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "homeotic gene" tana nufin nau'in kwayar halitta mai sarrafa tsarin tsarin jiki da tsarin sassan jiki a cikin kwayoyin halitta. Kwayoyin halittar gida suna da alhakin tantance ainihin sassan jiki da sifofi daban-daban yayin ci gaban amfrayo. Sau da yawa ana kiransu da “master control genes” saboda suna tsara ayyukan wasu kwayoyin halittar da ke da hannu wajen samar da wasu sassan jiki. Maye gurbi ko rashin daidaituwa a cikin kwayoyin halittar gida na iya haifar da rashin ci gaba ko rashin daidaituwa a tsarin jiki.