What is the difference between discrete and continuous traits?

Quantitative traits are also called continuous traits, and they stand in contrast to qualitative, or discontinuous, traits that are expressed in the form of distinct phenotypes chosen from a discrete set. Continuous variation in the expression of a trait can be due to both genetic and non-genetic factors.

1. What are examples of discrete traits?
2. What are continuous characteristics?
3. What is the difference between discrete and quantitative traits?
4. What is the difference between the way discrete and continuous traits are presented graphically?
5. What is an example of a continuous variation?
6. Is weight a continuous trait?
7. What is discrete variation?
8. What is the difference between continuous and discontinuous?
9. What causes continuous traits?
10. Is hair color a discrete trait?
11. What are discontinuous traits?
12. Is eye color discrete or continuous?
13. Is hair continuous or discrete?
14. Are all continuous traits polygenic?

What are examples of discrete traits?

Be Discrete

Discrete traits, which are not common in humans, include widow's peak and cleft chin. Certain medical conditions are also discrete, such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease.

What are continuous characteristics?

A continuous trait displays a range of expression (such as weight, height, etc.) rather than an all-or-none appearance (such as white or red). Continuous traits are usually under polygenic control and subject to substantial environmental influence in expression.

What is the difference between discrete and quantitative traits?

Discrete traits - determined by a single locus with different alleles that produce distinct phenotypes. Quantitative traits - vary along a continuum within a population. Quantitative traits are controlled by multiple genes, each segregating according to Mendel's laws. They can also be affected by the environment.

What is the difference between the way discrete and continuous traits are presented graphically?

A. Discrete traits are presented by bar graphs and pie charts, while continuous traits are presented by a bell-shaped curve.

What is an example of a continuous variation?

Human height is an example of continuous variation. It ranges from that of the shortest person in the world to that of the tallest person. Any height is possible between these values. ... For any species a characteristic that changes gradually over a range of values shows continuous variation.

Is weight a continuous trait?

Continuous traits are measured on a continuous numerical scale and include height, weight and milk production. Non-continuous traits cannot be measured on a continuous numerical scale. Examples include meristic traits and threshold traits.

What is discrete variation?

Discrete variation is either/or and is often caused by the presence or absence of a small number if genes. For example, our ability to "roll" our tongues is determined by just one gene. We can all either roll our tongue or not - there's nothing in between. ... Height is a good example of continuous variation.

What is the difference between continuous and discontinuous?

The main difference between continuous and discontinuous variation is that continuous variation has no limit on the value that can occur within a population while discontinuous variation has distinct groups for organisms to belong to.

What causes continuous traits?

The continuous variation for complex traits is due to genetic complexity and environmental sensitivity. Genetic complexity arises from segregating alleles at multiple loci. The effect of each of these alleles on the trait phenotype is often relatively small, and their expression is sensitive to the environment.

Is hair color a discrete trait?

Two Kinds of Inherited Variation

Continuous variations are differences in characteristics that have a range of possible variations, such as height, shoe size, hand span, skin color, hair color, etc. Discrete variations are differences in characteristics that have a definite form, with a limited number of possibilities.

What are discontinuous traits?

Definitions. Discontinuous traits - traits with only a few possible phenotypes that fall into discrete classes; phenotype is controlled by one or only a few genes (ex.: tall or short pea plants; red, pink or white snapdragon flowers)

Is eye color discrete or continuous?

Examples. The following are examples of discrete variables: Gender. Eye color (brown, blue, green, hazel)

Is hair continuous or discrete?

Since hairs are something we can count, this is a discrete random variable. Even though the number of hairs may be very large, that we wouldn't actually want to count them, there are no "half hairs" or fractional amounts of hair, only whole number amounts of hairs.

Are all continuous traits polygenic?

A polygenic trait is one whose phenotype is influenced by more than one gene. Traits that display a continuous distribution, such as height or skin color, are polygenic. ... Many polygenic traits are also influenced by the environment and are called multifactorial.