Multifactorial inheritance
The type of hereditary pattern seen when there is more than one genetic factor involved and, sometimes, when there are also environmental factors participating in the causation of a condition.
Many common traits are multifactorial. Skin color, for example, is multifactorially determined. So is height and so also is intelligence.
The most common diseases tend also to multifactorial. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, is multifactorial. It is due to the inheritance of susceptibility genes (genes that make one susceptible to developing diabetes) plus environmental factors such as obesity. Obesity, in turn, clearly is multifactorial in causation.
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- Multifocal
Having to do with two or more foci or arising from two or more places. For example, aortic aneurysm disease is often multifocal and needs total aortic screening for diagnosis.
- Multipara
A woman who has had two or more pregnancies resulting in potentially viable offspring. The term para refers to births. A para III has had three such pregnancies; a para VI or more is also known as a grand ‘multipara.
- Multipara, grand
“multi-” from “multus”, much + “-para” from “pario”, to bring forth = to bring forth much (in the way of children).
- Multiparous
1) Having multiple births. 2) Related to a multipara. See also uniparous.
- Multiple abortions
Two or more miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) by a woman. Couples who have had multiple abortions have about a 5% chance that one member of the couple is carrying a chromosome translocation responsible for the miscarriages.