Polygenic

📖 Full definition

A polygenic trait results from the combined action of multiple genes (often dozens or hundreds), each contributing a small effect to the final outcome. Height, skin colour and face shape are polygenic. Unlike monogenic traits (one gene), prediction is statistical — known as a "polygenic score".

💡 Concrete example

Overall face shape is polygenic: no single gene dictates jaw or forehead. That's why siblings share ~50% of their genes yet may look quite different.

🔄 Synonyms

multigenic · polygenic score

🔗 See also

• Monogenic →
• Heritability →
• GWAS →

📰 Articles mentioning this

• "It Skips a Generation": Myth or Genetic Reality? →
• Who Does Your Child Look Like? The Science Explained →