geenotüüp

Geenotüüp refers to the specific genetic makeup of an organism. It encompasses all the alleles, or variations of genes, that an individual possesses. Unlike the phenotype, which is the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, the genotype is the underlying genetic code that determines these traits.

Genes are located on chromosomes and are passed down from parents to offspring. Each gene can have different versions called alleles. For example, a gene for eye color might have an allele for blue eyes and an allele for brown eyes. An individual inherits two alleles for each gene, one from each parent. The combination of these alleles constitutes the genotype for that specific gene.

The genotype can be homozygous, meaning an individual has two identical alleles for a particular gene (e.g., two alleles for blue eyes), or heterozygous, where an individual has two different alleles (e.g., one allele for blue eyes and one for brown eyes). The interaction of these alleles, along with environmental factors, ultimately shapes the observable phenotype. Studying genotypes is crucial in genetics for understanding inheritance patterns, predicting traits, and identifying genetic predispositions to diseases.