Question

(a) What is polygenic inheritance? Explain with the help of a suitable example.
(b) How are pleiotropy and Mendelian pattern of inheritance different from polygenic pattern of inheritance?

Answer 1

Answer:

Explained below

Explanation:

(a) When more than one gene controls a character then it is called polygenic inheritance. It is also known as quantitative inheritance where two or more different pair of alleles which have a cumulative effect on governing quantitative characters.

Example:

1. White spotting in mice
2. Green color in wheat

(b) Mendelian inheritance revolves around the law of dominance, the law of independent assortment and law of segregation of gametes and gives clear ratio and does not talk about the mixing of two characters. Here, one gene controls one trait.

When one gene controls multiple characters is called pleiotropy.