Question

The final paragraph of the CNN report said that "several eye specialists" had pointed out that the study should have accounted for heredity. Myopia is passed down from parents to children. Myopic parents are more likely to have myopic children, and may also be more likely to leave lights on habitually (since the parents have poor vision). In what way does the knowledge of this possible genetic link affect how we interpret the data from the study? Explain.

Answer 1

Answer:

Myopia is a phenotype that results from interactions between genetic factors and the environment

Explanation:

A quantitative trait is a polygenic trait that depends on the cumulative effects of many genes and the environment. Some examples of quantitative traits include weight and height. Myopia is a quantitative trait whose phenotype depends on the combined action of different genes and the environment. It has been shown that genetics plays a central role in this trait (myopia), it is for that reason that myopic parents are more likely to have myopic children. However, there also are environmental factors (e.g., diet) which increase the risk to suffer myopia.