What is the difference between multiple alleles and pleiotropy?
What is the difference between multiple alleles and pleiotropy?
Multiple alleles: Multiple alleles are three or more alleles for a particular gene.
Pleiotropy: It is a phenomenon in which a single locus affects more than one unrelated phenotypic trait and affects more than one wild-type trait.
Difference between multiple alleles and pleiotropy:
Multiple alleles Pleiotropy Multiple alleles affect the same trait because they are alternative forms of the same gene. Pleiotropic genes are genes that have many phenotypic impacts due to their capacity to influence the expression of a variety of characteristics. Co-dominance: Alleles show co-dominance. Co-dominance: Pleiotropic alleles do not show co-dominance. Example: An example of multiple alleles is the ABO blood group system in humans.
The ABO blood group is considered a good example of multiple alleles because it is controlled by the I gene, which has three alleles: IA, IB, and I. It indicates multiple alleles because three alleles control the same letter.
Example:
A simple example of pleiotropy is phenylketonuria (PKU). It is an inherited disease caused by decreased metabolism of phenylalanine, an amino acid in the body's cells.
Multiple alleles: Multiple alleles are three or more alleles for a particular gene.
Pleiotropy: It is a phenomenon in which a single locus affects more than one unrelated phenotypic trait and affects more than one wild-type trait.
Difference between multiple alleles and pleiotropy:
| Multiple alleles | Pleiotropy |
| Multiple alleles affect the same trait because they are alternative forms of the same gene. | Pleiotropic genes are genes that have many phenotypic impacts due to their capacity to influence the expression of a variety of characteristics. |
| Co-dominance: Alleles show co-dominance. | Co-dominance: Pleiotropic alleles do not show co-dominance. |
Example: An example of multiple alleles is the ABO blood group system in humans. The ABO blood group is considered a good example of multiple alleles because it is controlled by the I gene, which has three alleles: IA, IB, and I. It indicates multiple alleles because three alleles control the same letter. | Example: A simple example of pleiotropy is phenylketonuria (PKU). It is an inherited disease caused by decreased metabolism of phenylalanine, an amino acid in the body's cells. |
