Question

What is the difference between pleiotropy and epistasis?

Answer 1

Pleiotropy:

It describes a phenomenon in which a single gene has many phenotypic consequences.

Epistasis:

It describes a phenomenon in which a gene from one locus changes the expression of a gene from another location.

Difference between pleiotropy and epistasis:

Pleiotropy	Epistasis
1. It is the phenomenon in which a gene pair at a single locus influences many (more than one) phenotypic features.	1. It is the process through which many gene pairs at separate loci interact to influence a single characteristic.
2. It is a hereditary condition characterized by a lack of phenylalanine metabolism in body cells	2. Epistasis occurs when more than one gene causes a single trait.
3. For example, a mutation in a gene that causes phenylketonuria causes a variety of phenotypic consequences, including mental impairment, skin coloring, and hair loss.	3. For example, many genes may interact with one another throughout embryological development in order to manifest distinct features.