Ciwon kwayoyin halitta matsala ce ta kiwon lafiya ta hanyar daya ko fiye da rashin daidaituwa a cikin kwayoyin halitta . Ana iya haifar da shi ta hanyar maye gurbi a cikin kwayar halitta guda daya (monogenic) ko wasu kwayoyin halitta masu yawa (polygenic) ko ta rashin daidaituwa na chromosomal . Ko da yake cututtukan polygenic sun fi na kowa, ana amfani da kalmar mafi yawa lokacin da ake magana da cuta tare da dalili guda ɗaya, ko dai a cikin kwayar halitta ko chromosome . Maye gurbin da ke da alhakin zai iya faruwa ba da jimawa ba kafin haɓakar amfrayo (a de novo maye gurbi), ko kuma ana iya gadonsa daga iyaye biyu waɗanda suke ɗauke da ƙwayar cuta mara kyau ( autosomal recessive inheritance ) ko kuma daga iyaye masu fama da cuta ( autosomal rinjaye gado). Lokacin da cutar ta gado ta gado ɗaya ko duka biyun, ana kuma rarraba ta azaman cuta ta gado. Wasu cututtuka ana haifar da su ta hanyar maye gurbi a kan X chromosome kuma suna da gado mai alaƙa da X. Cututtuka kaɗan ne ake gado akan Y-chromosome ko DNA mitochondrial (saboda girmansu).