Question

Which of the following describes the ability of a single gene to have multiple phenotypic effects?

A) pleiotropy
B) incomplete dominance
C) epistasis
D) multiple alleles
E) none of the abov

Answer 1

Answer:

A, pleiotropy.

Explanation:

Pleiotropy - genes that have multiple phenotypic effects. Remember that phenotype means a physical characteristic caused by a gene, such as eye color or fur patterns.

Incomplete dominance - when neither allele is dominant and they mix together in the phenotype. A popular example is a red flower crossing with a white flower and resulting in a pink flower.

Epistasis - when two genes contribute to the phenotype, but one gene completely masks another gene. An example would be labrador fur colors.

Multiple alleles - 3 or more alternative forms of a gene, but only 2 alleles can occupy an organism. An example is blood type.

Hope this helps!