Pattern baldness is influenced by which type of trait?

Pattern baldness is best classified as a sex-influenced trait. This type of trait is influenced by the sex of the individual, meaning that it is expressed differently in males and females due to hormonal differences.

In the case of pattern baldness, the allele responsible for the trait can lead to hair loss in males but may not cause the same degree of hair loss in females, or it may require the presence of additional factors, such as specific hormone levels, to manifest in women. Males typically express this trait more significantly due to higher levels of androgens, which affect how hair follicles respond to the genetic programming of baldness.

Understanding this distinction is crucial in genetics because it highlights how certain traits can interact with biological sex to influence phenotypic expression, leading to varying expressions based on sex rather than being solely determined by the presence or absence of a gene.