Question

What is the mechanism behind pleiotropy?

(a) A single gene controls a single character

(b) Effect of a gene on metabolic pathways

(c) Effect of multiple genes on multiple pathways

(d) Effect of multiple alleles on a biochemical pathway

The question was posed to me in an international level competition.

This key question is from Inheritance Principles in division Principles of Inheritance and Variation of Biology – Class 12

Answer 1

The correct answer is (b) Effect of a gene on metabolic pathways

The explanation is: Pleiotropy is the phenomenon by which a single gene affects different metabolic pathways and these different metabolic pathways result in different phenotypes.