Polygenic inheritance refers to the inheritance of a trait governed by more than one genes. Generally, three or more genes govern the inheritance of polygenic traits. Multiple independent genes have an additive or similar effect on a single quantitative trait.
What can polygenic inheritance can explain?
Polygenic inheritance is a type of incomplete dominance inheritance, where the expressed phenotypes are a mixture of inherited traits. Polygenic traits have a bell-shaped distribution in a population with most individuals inheriting various combinations of alleles and falling within the middle range of the curve for a particular trait.
What others traits are examples of polygenic inheritance?
Polygenic Traits
- Traits, Phenotypes, and Genotypes. To help understand polygenic traits, explanation of traits, phenotypes, and genotypes is necessary. ...
- Non-Mendelian Inheritance. Polygenic traits are complex and unable to be explained by simple Mendelian inheritance alone. ...
- Examples of Polygenic Traits. ...
- Related Biology Terms. ...
- Quiz. ...
What are the characteristics of polygenic inheritance?
Polygenic Inheritance- Definition, Characteristics & Examples
- Polygenic Inheritance Characteristics. The genes of polygenic inheritance known as polygenes have a minor effect on a phenotype along with the other genes.
- Polygenic Inheritance Examples. ...
- Effect of Environment on Polygenic Inheritance. ...
- Summary. ...
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Polygenic Inheritance. ...
How to solve polygenic inheritance problems?
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Q.1. What is meant by polygenic inheritance?
Ans: Polygenic inheritance is defined as the quantitative inheritance of multiple independent genes having an additive or cumulative effect on a si...
Q.2. What are the characteristics of polygenic inheritance?
Ans: The characteristics of polygenic inheritance are as follows: 1. Polygenes are the genes that have a minor effect on a phenotype along with the...
Q.3. Which human trait is an example of polygenic inheritance?
Ans: There are many examples of polygenic inheritance in humans like skin and hair colour, height, eye colour, the risk for diseases and resistance...
Q.4. Is blood type an example of polygenic inheritance?
Ans: No, blood type is not an example of polygenic inheritance, rather it is an example of multiple allelism where a single gene has three differen...
Q.5. Who is known as the father of polygenic inheritance?
Ans: Joseph Gottlieb Koleuter is known as the Father of Polygenic Inheritance.
Effect of Environment on Polygenic Inheritance
Nature plays a very important role in shaping the characteristics of an individual. Internal or inherent features are also affected by the environment. Usually, the genotype sets the range for a quantitative trait while the phenotype results from the varying environmental factors.
Summary
Polygenic inheritance is defined as the quantitative inheritance of multiple independent genes having an additive or cumulative effect on a single quantitative trait. It is also known as multiple gene inheritance or multiple factor inheritance. It is greatly influenced by environmental factors.
FAQs on Polygenic Inheritance
Q.1. What is meant by polygenic inheritance? Ans: Polygenic inheritance is defined as the quantitative inheritance of multiple independent genes having an additive or cumulative effect on a single quantitative trait. It is also known as multiple gene inheritance or multiple factor inheritance.
Congenital Heart Disease
Keith N. Strickland, in Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiology (Fourth Edition), 2008
Learning Disabilities
H. Liang, E. Simonoff, in Encyclopedia of Infant and Early Childhood Development, 2008
Non-bullous Skin Diseases
Stanca A. Birlea, ... David A. Norris, in The Autoimmune Diseases (Fifth Edition), 2014
Heritability
As the regression of offspring on midparent phenotype equals heritability and is approximately linear under polygenic inheritance (exactly linear under multivariate normality), the regression of the offspring of a group of individuals on the mean of their parents’ phenotype equals h2.
Schizophrenia
GWAS arrays made hypothesis-free SNP association analysis feasible and allowed empirical testing of the hypothetical role of polygenic inheritance in SCZ risk.
New Prospects in Pathogen Control of Button Mushroom Cultures
Jean-Michel Savoie, ... Michèle Largeteau, in Mushroom Biotechnology, 2016
Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome
Higher concordance for APS-2 among monozygotic twins than among dizygotic twins attests to the genetic influences on the condition. Polygenic inheritance with genetic heterogeneity (a similar phenotype resulting from distinct genotypes), gene interactions, variable penetrance, and environmental influences all complicate the APS-2 phenotype.
What is polygenic inheritance?
polygenic inheritance. or quantitative inheritance a genetical system in which a number of genes (more than two) is involved in the control of a character, the character being described as ‘ quantitative’ in that it shows a wide range of variability that can be measured (see HERITABILITY ). Each ‘polygene’ in the system has only a small effect on ...
What is inheritance in genetics?
inheritance in which a measurable phenotype is generated by many loci, the contributions of which are statistically independent, additive, and of about equal value. (The latter are in accordance with the classic central limit therein and justify the use of the multivariate normal distribution in galtonian genetics.)
How does each polygene affect the character?
Each ‘polygene’ in the system has only a small effect on the character and cannot be detected individually The expression of a polygenic character is strongly affected by the environment in which the individual exists. For example, human height is affected by diet, human intelligence scores are affected by the social background.
What are the patterns of inheritance?
In that class, you may have discussed the inheritance of different traits, physical characteristics, and genes, which are sections of DNA that code for traits. Generally, most introductory biology courses talk about dominant and recessive traits.
How many genes are there in biology?
Generally, most introductory biology courses talk about dominant and recessive traits. However, humans have slightly more than 20,000 genes and most of the traits are not simply dominant or recessive. Instead, many of our traits are passed from parent to offspring through other, more complex patterns of inheritance.
What is polygenic inheritance?
“Polygenic inheritance is defined as quantitative inheritance, where multiple independent genes have an additive or similar effect on a single quantitative trait.”. Polygenic inheritance is also known as multiple gene inheritance or multiple factor inheritance.
What are some traits that show polygenic inheritance?
There are many traits in humans, which show polygenic inheritance, e.g. skin and hair colour, height, eye colour, the risk for diseases and resistance, intelligence, blood pressure, bipolar disorder, autism, longevity, etc. Brief description of some of the traits:
What determines the phenotype of a trait?
The genotype sets the range for a quantitative trait, but the environmental conditions decide the phenotype within its genetic limits. Genes function differently in different environmental conditions. Environment regulates the activity of certain genes and sets them on or off.
How does polygenic inheritance differ from multiple alleles?
Polygenic inheritance differs from multiple alleles, as in multiple alleles , three or more alleles are present in the same locus of which any two alleles are present in an organism, e.g. ABO blood group system, which is controlled by three alleles. There is no epistasis involved, i.e. masking of the expression of an allele of the different locus.
How many genes are involved in the expression of phenotype for the length of the corolla?
63 Red (many shades):1 (white) Length of the corolla in tobacco: There are around 5 genes involved in the expression of phenotype for corolla length of tobacco. There is a wide variety in the length of the corolla in tobacco due to polygenic inheritance.
What is a polygene?
Polygene refers to a gene that exerts a slight effect on a phenotype along with other genes. Effect of a single gene is too small, so it is difficult to detect. Multiple genes produce an equal effect. Each allele has a cumulative or additive effect.
How are traits and phenotypic characters present in plants and animals inherited?
Many traits and phenotypic characters present in plants and animals such as height, skin pigmentation, hair and eye colour, milk and egg production are inherited through many alleles present in different loci. This is known as polygenic inheritance.
What is a polygenic trait?
Polygenic Trait. Polygenic Trait. =. A polygenic trait is one whose phenotype is influenced by more than one gene. Traits that display a continuous distribution, such as height or skin color, are polygenic. The inheritance of polygenic traits does not show the phenotypic ratios characteristic of Mendelian inheritance, ...
Why are people not the same height as their parents?
Height in humans is very strongly genetically controlled, but there are many, many different genes that control height. And this is why people are not the exact height of their parents. Skin color is another trait that is very obvious in humans that is controlled by many, many different genes. And this is why you get differences between parents ...
Is polygenic inheritance phenotypic?
The inheritance of polygenic traits does not show the phenotypic ratios characteristic of Mendelian inheritance, though each of the genes contributing to the trait is inherited as described by Gregor Mendel. Many polygenic traits are also influenced by the environment and are called multifactorial.
Is a polygenic trait a Mendelian trait?
Polygenic traits are quite different from the classical Mendelian trait in where we see that one gene controls one characteristic or one phenotype. Surprisingly, most traits in humans, and in fact most traits in most organisms, are polygenic. Mendelian traits, although we spend a lot of time talking about them, are really the exception.
