Polygenic Inheritance

Polygenic Inheritance refers to the expression of genetic make-ups resulting from complex (and we guess) random interactions and contributions of multiple genes to a recoginsable trait.

Traits that are Polygenic are not identified as "absolutes" but rather in degrees or mearuements of some sort.

Height is an example of "polygenic " that we could get our heads around.

Tall people have taller kids, and short people have shorter kids, but in varying degrees. It seems to us that when dealing with multiple genes (and height is a function of multiple genes) their is a sort of crap shoot, or probability game that determines randomly how a particular set of genes will interact to generate a particular height range (holding all environmental factors constant).

The most likely outcome of this dice role generates (rolling 6 or 7 for example) generates someone of "average height". Whereas rolling a 2 would generate a horse-jockey, and rolling a 12 would generate and NBA center.

When taken in terms of a society, a population generates a bell curve: