What does genotype refer to?

Genotype specifically refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, meaning the combination of alleles present at particular loci on the chromosomes. This includes all the variants of genes that an individual possesses, which can influence various traits and characteristics, although the physical expression of those traits, known as the phenotype, may vary due to environmental factors or interactions with other genes.

Understanding the difference between genotype and phenotype is crucial. The phenotype is the observable characteristics, while the genotype is the underlying genetic information. This distinction is important for genetics, as the same genotype can lead to different phenotypes under varying environmental conditions, and conversely, different genotypes can result in the same phenotype due to dominant and recessive allele interactions.