The Tall and Short Phenotypes in Pea Plants are Examples

Question

The tall and short phenotypes in pea plants are examples of ____.
A) polygenic traits
B) continuous traits
C) multifactorial traits
D) discontinuous traits
E) gene interaction

Accepted Answer

The tall and short phenotypes in pea plants are examples of a discontinuous trait, also known as a categorical trait, where individuals fall into distinct categories or groups based on certain defining traits or characteristics. In this case, the defining trait is height, with plants either being tall or short, with little to no intermediate height observed. This is in contrast to continuous traits, which are ones that show a range of variation, such as height in humans or weight in animals. Polygenic traits involve the interaction of multiple genes, while multifactorial traits are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Gene interaction refers to the way different genes interact with each other to produce a certain phenotype, often through epistasis or dominance interactions.