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Analyzing the association between gene expression and genetic variants is known as expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping. eQTL mapping searches for associations between the expression of one or more genes and a genetic locus. Specifically, genetic variants underlying eQTL peak explain some of the variation in gene expression levels. eQTL studies can reveal the architecture of quantitative traits, connect DNA sequence variation to phenotypic variation, and shed light on transcriptional regulation and regulatory variation. Traditional analytic techniques like linkage and association mapping can be applied to thousands of gene expression traits (transcripts) in eQTL analysis, such that gene expression can be mapped in much the same way as a physiological phenotype like blood pressure or heart rate. Joining gene expression and physiological phenotypes with genetic variation can identify genes with variants affecting disease phenotypes.