Genetic Inheritance Patterns

Polygenic traits

a phenotype controlled by additive effects of multiple genes

Multiple alleles

three or more alternative forms of a specific gene

Mitochondrial trait

a phenotype only inherited via the maternal lineage

Independent assortment

segregation of alleles of one gene does not influence segregation of alleles of another gene during meiosis

A genetic carrier

an individual with one altered allele who generally displays no traits associated with the altered allele

Incomplete Dominance

the heterozygote phenotype is intermediate between homozygous phenotypes

Sex-linked trait

in humans a phenotype controlled by genes on the X or Y chromosome

Co-Dominance

both alleles in a heterozygote are equally shown in the subsequent phenotype

Epistasis

when the alleles of one gene can mask the effect of alleles in another gene

Monohybrid cross

genetic breeding experiment studying the inheritance of a single, specific trait