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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.

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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:

  1. 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.

  2. Each gene contributes a small amount to the expression of the trait, and the combined effect of these genes results in the phenotype.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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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