AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -There are traits in humans and other organisms that have three or more different types of alleles (genes). When a trait has three or more distinct alleles, we refer to it as having multiple alleles inheritance. The human ABO blood type alleles/trait is an example of a trait with multiple alleles.

Detailed explanation-2: -Some genes have more than two allelic forms, which is referred to as multiple alleles. A diploid cell contains any of the two alleles, one each on the homologous chromosomes and a haploid cell contains only one allele. When a trait is governed by multiple alleles it is called multiple allelism.

Detailed explanation-3: -With multiple alleles, that means there are more than two phenotypes available depending on the dominant or recessive alleles that are available in the trait and the dominance pattern the individual alleles follow when combined together.

Detailed explanation-4: -Although individual humans (and all diploid organisms) can only have two alleles for a given gene, multiple alleles may exist in a population level, and different individuals in the population may have different pairs of these alleles.

Detailed explanation-5: -Usually, traits are polygenic when there is wide variation in the trait. For example, humans can be many different sizes. Height is a polygenic trait, controlled by at least three genes with six alleles. If you are dominant for all of the alleles for height, then you will be very tall.