POLYGENIC INHERITANCE Meaning and
Definition
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Polygenic inheritance refers to the inheritance pattern of traits controlled by multiple genes, where each gene contributes a small effect to the overall phenotype. In this type of inheritance, the phenotype is not determined by a single gene or a pair of genes, but by the combined effects of several genes, often interacting with each other and the environment.
Polygenic traits exhibit a continuous range of variation rather than distinct phenotypes. Examples of polygenic traits in humans include height, skin color, intelligence, and susceptibility to certain diseases. These traits display a wide range of values within a population as they are influenced by multiple genes and can be affected by environmental factors as well.
The mode of inheritance for polygenic traits is often complex, as the expression of the phenotype can be influenced by interactions between the various genes involved. The trait may also demonstrate a bell curve distribution within a population, as the effect of each contributing gene varies.
Understanding polygenic inheritance is crucial in the fields of genetics and genomics, as it helps unravel the complexity of human traits and diseases. It provides insights into the inheritance patterns of quantitative traits and helps in the development of comprehensive models to predict phenotypic outcomes based on genetic variations.
Common Misspellings for POLYGENIC INHERITANCE
- oolygenic inheritance
- lolygenic inheritance
- -olygenic inheritance
- 0olygenic inheritance
- pilygenic inheritance
- pklygenic inheritance
- pllygenic inheritance
- pplygenic inheritance
- p0lygenic inheritance
- p9lygenic inheritance
- pokygenic inheritance
- popygenic inheritance
- pooygenic inheritance
- poltgenic inheritance
- polggenic inheritance
- polhgenic inheritance
- polugenic inheritance
- pol7genic inheritance
- pol6genic inheritance
- polyfenic inheritance
Etymology of POLYGENIC INHERITANCE
The word "polygenic inheritance" originates from two components: "polygenic" and "inheritance".
Polygenic originates from the Greek word "polygenēs", meaning "having many origins" or "produced from many kinds". It is derived from the combination of "poly", meaning "many", and "genos", meaning "kind" or "race".
Inheritance, on the other hand, is derived from the Latin word "inherited", which means "to receive from ancestors". It comes from the combination of the prefix "in", meaning "into", and the verb "heres", meaning "heir".
Together, "polygenic inheritance" refers to the phenomenon where multiple genes contribute to the expression of a specific trait or phenotype in an organism and can be passed down from one generation to another.
