When one gene controls two or more different characters simultaneously, the phenomenon is called:
✓ Correct answer: b) Pleiotropy
ExplanationGenetics is the study of heredity and variation in living organisms.It explores how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes which are the units of heredity located on chromosomes.Option (b) is correct: Pleiotropy occurs when a single gene affects multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits.Mutations in such a gene can have widespread effects due to its influence on various biological processes This occurs because the gene product (e.g., a protein) may participate in multiple biochemical or physiological pathways.For example, the gene responsible for sickle cell anemia affects multiple traits: red blood cell shape, resistance to malaria, and oxygen transport efficiency.Science and Technology 629 456
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