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Polygenic

From About.com

Updated: November 30, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Steven Gans, MD

Definition: Caused by the effects of two or more genes interacting with each other and their environment. Schizophrenia is a polygenic disorder. This helps explain why different people manifest the illness with very different sets of symptoms.
Also Known As: multifactorial
Examples: Because schizophrenia is a polygenic disease, differences in the genetic makeup of different people with the illness can produce very different symptoms.

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