Human height is an example of a trait that has a continuous distribution of phenotypes. Human height is therefore an example of inheritance.
Question
Human height is an example of a trait that has a continuous distribution of phenotypes. Human height is therefore an example of ___ inheritance.
Solution
Human height is an example of a trait that follows polygenic inheritance. This type of inheritance involves the interaction of multiple genes, each having a small additive effect on the trait. This results in a continuous distribution of phenotypes, such as the range of human heights.
Here are the steps to understand this:
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Polygenic inheritance refers to the inheritance of traits that are determined by more than one gene. These genes, often located at different loci, can have two or more alleles.
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Each gene contributes a small amount to the expression of the trait, and the combined effect of these genes results in the phenotype.
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In the case of human height, there are potentially hundreds of genes that contribute. Each gene adds a small amount to the overall height of the individual.
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The combined effect of these genes results in a continuous distribution of phenotypes, from short to tall. This distribution often forms a bell curve, with most individuals having a height near the average, and fewer individuals being extremely short or extremely tall.
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This is different from traits that follow Mendelian inheritance, where one gene controls the trait and results in a few distinct phenotypes.
So, human height is an example of polygenic inheritance, resulting in a continuous distribution of phenotypes.
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