Final answer:
Pleiotropy occurs when one gene affects multiple characteristics, and the correct answer to the student's question is e) Pleiotropy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon that occurs when one gene influences multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits is known as pleiotropy. An example of pleiotropy is the gene that controls the melanin pigmentation in the skin, which can also affect eye color and hair color. Pleiotropy is different from polygenic inheritance, where multiple genes contribute to one characteristic, and epistasis, where one gene can interfere with the expression of another gene. Thus, the correct answer to the question is e) Pleiotropy.