Question

Which of the 4 main patterns of genetic expression would you expect to be least affected by a mutation in a single allele?

A) Codominance
B) Incomplete dominance
C) Polygenic inheritance
D) Multiple alleles

Answer 1

Polygenic inheritance is least affected by a mutation in a single allele since multiple genes contribute to a single trait, diluting the impact of one allele's mutation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pattern of genetic expression that would be least affected by a mutation in a single allele is C) Polygenic inheritance. This is because polygenic inheritance involves multiple genes contributing to a single trait, meaning that the effect of a single allele is typically diluted across the multiple genes responsible for a particular phenotype. In contrast, codominance and incomplete dominance are patterns where a single gene with two alleles directly affects the phenotype, making these patterns more susceptible to changes from a single allele mutation.

Multiple alleles also concern variations in a single gene, although the presence of more than two alleles can provide some buffering against the impact of one allele's mutation.