Genotüüpe

Genotüüpe refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, specifically the set of alleles it carries for a particular gene or set of genes. It is determined by the DNA sequence within an organism's cells. In contrast to phenotype, which describes the observable physical and biochemical characteristics, genotype represents the underlying genetic blueprint.

For a given gene, an individual typically inherits two alleles, one from each parent. The combination of these two alleles constitutes the genotype for that gene. For example, if a gene has two possible alleles, A and a, an individual's genotype could be AA (homozygous dominant), Aa (heterozygous), or aa (homozygous recessive).

The genotype is crucial because it influences the phenotype. While some genotypes directly determine a specific trait, others may interact with environmental factors to produce the observable characteristics. Understanding genotype is fundamental to genetics, hereditary studies, and fields like medicine and agriculture, where predicting traits and understanding genetic variations are important. Genetic testing often focuses on identifying specific genotypes to assess risk for certain diseases or to understand evolutionary relationships.