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GCSE Biology · key term
Inheritance in which two or more genes contribute to one phenotypic feature.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 3.19 · Paper 1
The control of one phenotypic feature by several genes acting together.
Revise: Multiple Gene InheritanceMost phenotypic features result from the combined action of multiple genes. This is called polygenic inheritance. Each contributing gene may have several alleles, and an organism inherits a combination of these alleles from its parents.
Specification B5.1l · Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 4 (Higher)
Distinguish the feature from the mechanism: height is a phenotype; polygenic inheritance describes how several genes help to determine it.
A broad range of phenotypes can suggest polygenic inheritance, but environmental effects may also influence the phenotype.
Use “most phenotypic features” rather than claiming that every feature is polygenic. Contrast polygenic inheritance with single-gene inheritance when asked.
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Most are influenced by multiple genes. This is called polygenic inheritance: two or more genes contribute to the same feature. Each contributing gene can affect the eventual phenotype, so many combinations of alleles are possible.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
Inheritance in which variants in two or more genes contribute to a single phenotypic feature.
Revise: Multiple GenesMost phenotypic features do not follow this simple one-gene pattern. Instead, genetic variants in multiple parts of the genome contribute to the same feature. This is called polygenic inheritance, and the feature is described as polygenic.