Principles Of Inheritance And Variation Question 3
Question: The phenomenon of pleiotropism refers to
(1) Presence of several alleles of a single gene controlling a single crossover.
(2) Presence of two alleles, each of the two genes controlling a single trait.
(3) A single gene affecting multiple phenotypic expression.
(4) More than two genes affecting a single character.
Show Answer
Answer: (3) A single gene affecting multiple phenotypic expression.
Explaination-
In pleiotropy, a single gene has multiple effects on the phenotype, leading to the expression of multiple traits or characteristics. These different traits may seemingly be unrelated to each other, and they arise from the influence of the same gene on various biochemical pathways or developmental processes within the organism. Pleiotropy is a common occurrence in genetics and can result in diverse phenotypic effects caused by alterations in a single gene.
