çokgene

çokgene is a Turkish-language neologism used in some genetics discussions to describe the idea that many genes contribute to the development of a trait. The term does not correspond to a single, formally recognized locus, but rather to a concept that can refer either to a network of interacting genes or to the aggregate effect of multiple loci on phenotype.

Etymology and usage: The word combines çok (many) and gene (borrowed from English). Its usage varies: some writers treat çokgene as an informal shorthand for polygenic inheritance; others use it to emphasize gene networks and pleiotropy where several loci influence several traits.

Relation to established concepts: Polygenic inheritance, pleiotropy, epistasis, and gene regulatory networks are related. A çokgene hub can be described as a set of loci with coordinated effects; this is often studied with genome-wide association studies (GWAS), polygenic risk scores, and network analyses.

In education and research, çokgene is used to illustrate the complexity of genetic architecture and to caution against interpreting traits as the result of a single gene. It serves as a heuristic for discussing how small additive effects accumulate across the genome.

See also polygenic trait, pleiotropy, epistasis, gene regulatory network, genome-wide association study.