Question

Select the statement which is not correct.

• A. Polygenic character is controlled by multiple alleles.
• B. In case o f polygenic inheritance thousands of intermediate phenotypes are found between two extreme ones.
• C. Height, weight, skin colour are polygenic.
• D. Polygenic character is controlled by multiple genes.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

When a phenotype is controlled by cumulative effect of more than one genes, it is called polygenic inheritance or quantitative inheritance. Skin colour, height and weight in humans are example of polygenic inheritance. Phenotypes controlled by polygenic inheritance show a continuous variation, i.e, a number of phenotypes between two extreme ones. Polygenic inheritance is not controlled by multiple alleles (a number of allelic forms of same gene) but by multiple genes (by a number of different genes).