noun
- Plural of epistasis; instances in which one gene suppresses or masks the effect of another gene at a different locus.
Usage: genetics; technical
Examples
- The researchers identified several epistases that explained the inheritance pattern in the fruit fly population.
- Epistases complicate the prediction of phenotypes in polygenic traits.
- The study examined how epistases between different genes affected disease susceptibility.
- Understanding epistases is essential for accurate genetic modeling in complex organisms.