Polygeneettinen

Polygeneettinen refers to a trait or condition that is influenced by multiple genes acting together. This is in contrast to monogenic traits, which are determined by a single gene. Many complex human characteristics, such as height, skin color, and susceptibility to common diseases like diabetes or heart disease, are considered polygenic. The inheritance of polygenic traits typically follows a continuous distribution, meaning there is a range of possible phenotypes rather than distinct categories.

Understanding polygenic inheritance is crucial in fields like genetics, medicine, and evolutionary biology. It helps explain why individuals within a family might share certain traits but also exhibit significant variation. Environmental factors often interact with the genetic predispositions influenced by multiple genes, further complicating the expression of polygenic traits. This gene-environment interaction means that having a polygenic predisposition for a condition does not guarantee its development; lifestyle and other external influences play a significant role. Research into polygenic traits involves studying the combined effects of numerous genetic variations, often through large-scale genomic association studies.