This disease is an inherited disease which means that the disease get transfer from parent to child. It is an autosomal recessive disease which means that the defect in genes is mainly in the autosomes or the chromosomes of the body cells and it is recessive which means that the disease can only transfer in the case if both the allele on the chromosome express them self in the body. A single defective gene on one allele cannot develop symptoms of disease. It is a metabolic disorder, as the defective gene cannot produce normal products that are responsible for the normal functioning of the metabolism.

This is due to the defect in the SLC39A4 gene on chromosome 8 Q24.3. Actually the 8 represents the no of chromosome, Q represents the long arm of the chromosome (p represents the short arm), 24 represents the band. These bands can be seen in high-resolution power while the 3 reprents the sub bands that is further seen by more resolution power. This gene is responsible for the coding of transmembrane protein, which is required for the uptake of Zinc.Hence in this disorder there is deficiency of Zn.