What’s the difference between genotype and phenotype?

Answer 1

Genotype are the unseen differences in genetic combinations of an individual. Phenotypes are the expressed and seen differences of an individual.

A genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism with reference to a single trait, set of traits, or an entire complex of trait; that is, genotype is the type of genes you have. A phenotype is the physical characteristic of an organism. So the genotype decides the genetics and inherited traits of an organism, but phenotypes refer to the actual display of these traits. Genotypes are decided by inherited genes, while phenotypes are determined by the effect of environmental factors as well. The more complex a biological process, the more is the effect of environmental factors on it and therefore the chances of a predominant phenotype.

For example, say recessive allele t codes for albinism (a congenital disorder) and dominant allele T is normal. Two individuals have different genotypes: TT and Tt. Because they both have an allele T, neither have albinism; therefore, they have different genotypes but the same phenotype. An individual with a genotype tt would have albinism and would therefore have a different phenotype than the previous two.

Another example: Identical twins have the same genes and the same genotype. Every now and then a gene in one of the twins will be expressed differently from the gene in the other twin. They will have different phenotypes. So phenotype is a fancy word used when a gene works one way under certain conditions and a different way under other conditions.

An easy way to remember that (from what I've learned from my science teacher) is to think "Pheno" as "Photo", like if you take a picture, you'll only be able to see the outside of somebody; what they look like.

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In more detail:

Take alleles R and r. If R and R display a "complete dominance" relationship, then RR , Rr, and rr are different genotypes, but two are the same phenotype. RR and Rr display the same trait because R is completelycovering up r's trait, but rr will show the recessive trait.

EX: A flower with R as a red trait and r as a white trait has the following phenotypes for each genotype:

• RR: red
• Rr: red
• rr: white

Additional information:

If R and r display a "codominance" relationship, then RR, Rr, and rr are different genotypes and phenotypes. RR shows the dominant trait, while rr shows the recessive trait. Rr shows a combination of the two, as if the two were dominating cooperatively.

EX: A flower with R as a red trait and r as a white trait has the following phenotypes for each genotype:

• RR: red
• Rr: red and white
• rr: white

If R and r display a "incomplete dominance" or "incomplete inheritance" relationship, then RR, Rr, and rr are different genotypes and phenotypes. RR shows the dominant trait, while rr shows the recessive trait. Rr shows when R incompletely dominates r, allowing some of its qualities show. EX: A flower with R as a red trait and r as a white trait has the following phenotypes for each genotype:

• RR: red
• Rr: pink
• rr: white