polygene One of a group of genes that together control a continuously variable character such as height or weight. Individually each gene has very little effect on the resulting phenotype which instead requires the interaction of many genes. Before genes had been described, a multifactorial hypothesis had been constructed to explain the absence of clear-cut segregation into readily recognizable classes that show typical Mendelian ratios, as occurs with quantitative characters. In this case a group of interacting factors corresponds to a group of interacting genes.

polygene One of a group of genes that together control a quantitative character such as height or weight. Individually each gene has very little effect on the resulting phenotype which instead requires the interaction of many genes. Before genes had been described, a multifactorial hypothesis had been constructed to explain the absence of clear-cut segregation into readily recognizable classes that show typical Mendelian ratios, as occurs with quantitative characters. In this case a group of interacting factors corresponds to a group of interacting genes.

polygene Any of a group of genes influencing a quantitative characteristic, e.g. height in humans. See polygenic characters; polygenic inheritance.