Question

which statement best describes human eye color?
an incompletely dominant trait that follows non - mendelian inheritance patterns
a polygenic trait that follows non - mendelian inheritance patterns
an incompletely dominant trait that follows mendelian inheritance patterns
a polygenic trait that follows mendelian inheritance patterns

Explanation:

1. Recall the concepts of inheritance patterns: Mendelian inheritance involves traits controlled by a single gene with distinct phenotypes (like dominant/recessive). Non - Mendelian includes polygenic, incomplete dominance, etc.
2. Human eye color is determined by multiple genes (polygenic), not a single gene. Polygenic traits do not follow the simple Mendelian inheritance patterns (which are for single - gene, discrete traits) and thus follow non - Mendelian inheritance. Incomplete dominance is when a heterozygote has a phenotype intermediate between the two homozygotes, which is not the case for eye color. So the correct statement is "a polygenic trait that follows non - Mendelian inheritance patterns".

Answer:

B. a polygenic trait that follows non - Mendelian inheritance patterns