noun
- Plural of pleiotropy; instances in which a single gene influences multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits.
Usage: genetics; technical
Examples
- The study examined several pleiotropisms in fruit fly genetics.
- Pleiotropisms can complicate breeding programs by linking desirable and undesirable traits.
- Researchers identified multiple pleiotropisms affecting both coat color and metabolism in mice.
- Understanding pleiotropisms is essential for predicting inheritance patterns in complex traits.
- The gene showed unexpected pleiotropisms affecting both height and bone density.