what is a polygenic trait

A polygenic trait is a characteristic that is influenced by two or more genes. Polygenic traits do not follow the patterns of Mendelian inheritance, which is the inheritance of traits that follow the laws proposed by Gregor Mendel. Instead, they are often represented as a range of continuous variation. Examples of polygenic traits in humans include height, skin color, hair color, and eye color. Other conditions such as type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer, and arthritis are also considered polygenic, but they are not solely genetic since polygenes can be influenced by environmental factors. Polygenic traits are complex and unable to be explained by simple Mendelian inheritance alone.