Polygenic inheritance

What is Polygenic inheritance?

Polygenic inheritance is a type of inheritance in which a single phenotypic trait (height, color of the eye, skin color, etc.) is governed by more than one pair of genes. Such traits are called polygenic traits. Let’s understand polygenic inheritance in humans as well as plants....

Characteristics of Polygenic Inheritance

A single gene affects multiple traits.  Alleles of genes produce a cumulative or additive effect on phenotypes. Each allele has a cumulative or additive effect Polygenic inheritance differs from epistasis in a number of genes. In epistasis, more than one genes produce an effect whereas, in polygenic inheritance, a single gene produces the effect. It shows the continuous variation of traits. Being complex, it is difficult to predict the phenotype of an organism.  Being large complex data, statistical methods can give the best output....

Examples of Polygenic Inheritance

Polygenic inheritance in humans...

Polygenic Inheritance in Plants

Kernel Color of the Wheat...

How Does Polygenic Inheritance Work?

Polygenic inheritance works by combining the effects of several individual genes. Every gene involved in a given trait contributes to the trait, but their contribution is not necessarily equal. In addition to the genes that contribute to a trait, environmental factors also play an important role. Different environmental factors can influence the expression of a trait and can even influence the expression of genes that contribute to the trait. The interaction of genes and environmental factors makes it difficult to predict the outcome of a particular trait. A geneticist studying a trait might be able to identify the genes that are likely to be involved and the likely contribution of each gene, but it remains difficult to predict the exact outcome of a trait....

Importance of Polygenic Inheritance

The idea of polygenic inheritance, commonly referred to as quantitative inheritance, is crucial to understanding how qualities that are influenced by numerous genes are passed down across generations. Height, weight, skin tone, and other characteristics can be influenced by polygenic inheritance. These qualities can be found in plants, animals, and people, and they frequently have a greater influence on an organism’s phenotype than single-gene features. There are numerous useful applications for understanding how polygenic inheritance functions. For instance, it can shed light on the breeding of crops and the transmission of diseases from one generation to the next. Understanding the inheritance of complex qualities like intelligence or conduct has also been done using polygenic inheritance....

Effect of environment on Polygenic Inheritance

The effects of polygenic inheritance on organism evolution and environmental adaptation are significant. The progressive transmission of genes from one generation to the next under this type of inheritance will cause a trait to gradually change over time. Even though they happen gradually, these modifications might eventually produce noticeable variations in an organism’s phenotype. If one group of creatures diverges from another through time, this may result in the emergence of new species. A population’s features may abruptly change due to sudden bursts of mutations caused by polygenic inheritance. Depending on the surrounding environment, this may be advantageous or detrimental. A population may exhibit deleterious features as a result of sudden mutations, or advantageous traits may emerge quickly....

Effect of environment on polygenic inheritance

Environment plays a significant role in determining the phenotype of an organism. For example– the amount of aluminum present in soil can determine the color of shrubs, flowers, etc. Similarly, the skin of rabbits is greatly influenced by temperature changes in Himalayan regions....

Conclusion

Genetics’ understanding of polygenic inheritance, which describes the inheritance of traits influenced by several genes, is crucial. Understanding polygenic inheritance has many practical applications, from helping researchers create novel crops through agricultural breeding to comprehending the inheritance of complex features. In addition, polygenic inheritance is crucial to evolution since it promotes the formation of new species as well as slow but steady changes in an organism’s phenotype through time. It has also been linked to abrupt bursts of mutations that can alter a population in both positive and negative ways. In general, scientists need to understand polygenic inheritance, particularly those working in the disciplines of genetics, agriculture, and conservation. The ramifications of this type of inheritance are enormous and can aid in our understanding of how complex diseases originate as well as how animals and plants evolve....

FAQs on Polygenic inheritance

Question 1: What is Polygenic Inheritance?...