Non-Mendelian inheritance

Non-Mendelian inheritance (pronunciation: non-men-dee-lee-an in-her-it-ance) is a type of genetic inheritance that does not follow the laws proposed by Gregor Mendel in 1865.

Etymology

The term "Non-Mendelian inheritance" is derived from the name of Gregor Mendel, a 19th-century monk and scientist who is considered the father of modern genetics. The prefix "non-" indicates that this type of inheritance does not follow Mendel's laws.

Definition

Non-Mendelian inheritance refers to any pattern of inheritance in which traits do not segregate in accordance with Mendel's laws. These laws include the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment. Non-Mendelian inheritance can involve genes that are on the sex chromosomes, genes that are not on the sex chromosomes, or genes that are not inherited in a simple dominant/recessive fashion.

Types of Non-Mendelian Inheritance

There are several types of non-Mendelian inheritance, including but not limited to:

• Codominance: In codominance, both alleles for a gene are fully expressed in the phenotype of the organism.
• Incomplete dominance: In incomplete dominance, the phenotype of the heterozygote is intermediate between the phenotypes of the homozygous dominant and homozygous recessive.
• Multiple alleles: In multiple allele inheritance, there are more than two possible alleles for a gene.
• Polygenic inheritance: In polygenic inheritance, a single trait is controlled by two or more genes.
• Epistasis: In epistasis, the effect of one gene is dependent on the presence of one or more 'modifier genes'.
• Sex-linked inheritance: In sex-linked inheritance, the inheritance of a trait is linked to the sex chromosomes.

Related Terms

• Genetics
• Mendelian inheritance
• Gene
• Allele
• Phenotype
• Genotype
• Homozygous
• Heterozygous
• Dominant allele
• Recessive allele

See Also

• Mendel's laws of inheritance
• Genetic linkage
• Chromosome
• DNA
• RNA

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Non-Mendelian inheritance
• Wikipedia's article - Non-Mendelian inheritance

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