What is genotype?

What is genotype?

• A. Genetic makeup
• B. Physical traits
• C. Two alleles
• D. Chromosome number

Answer: (A)

Genotype is the genetic makeup—the specific alleles carried in an organism’s DNA that determine inherited traits. It’s the information stored in genes that can be passed to offspring, which, together with environmental factors, influences what traits appear. For a single gene in a diploid individual, the genotype is the pair of alleles present (such as AA, Aa, or aa). Across the whole genome, genotype refers to the organism’s complete set of alleles. The observable traits, or how those genes are expressed, form the phenotype. Physical traits are the phenotype, not the genotype. Chromosome number describes how many chromosomes exist in a cell, not the actual genetic content. Saying there are two alleles describes a possible state at one gene but doesn’t capture the full genetic makeup referenced by genotype.

Genotype is the genetic makeup—the specific alleles carried in an organism’s DNA that determine inherited traits. It’s the information stored in genes that can be passed to offspring, which, together with environmental factors, influences what traits appear.

For a single gene in a diploid individual, the genotype is the pair of alleles present (such as AA, Aa, or aa). Across the whole genome, genotype refers to the organism’s complete set of alleles. The observable traits, or how those genes are expressed, form the phenotype.

Physical traits are the phenotype, not the genotype. Chromosome number describes how many chromosomes exist in a cell, not the actual genetic content. Saying there are two alleles describes a possible state at one gene but doesn’t capture the full genetic makeup referenced by genotype.