What is the term for different genes that influence the same trait?

The correct term for different genes that influence the same trait is polygenic inheritance. This phenomenon occurs when multiple genes, also known as loci, contribute to a single phenotype or trait. For example, traits such as height, skin color, and intelligence are often the result of the additive effects of several genes, each contributing to the overall expression of the trait.

In polygenic inheritance, the combined effects of these genes can lead to a wide range of phenotypic variations, making it a key concept in understanding complex traits. This contrasts with other concepts like pleiotropy, where a single gene affects multiple traits, or multiple alleles, which refer to different versions of a gene influencing a single trait rather than multiple genes contributing to the same phenomenon. Complete dominance describes a situation where one allele completely masks the effect of another, but does not involve multiple genes. Therefore, polygenic inheritance aptly describes the scenario of different genes working together to determine a single trait.