Which term describes the genetic makeup of an organism, including its alleles?

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Multiple Choice

Which term describes the genetic makeup of an organism, including its alleles?

Explanation:
Genetic makeup described by the specific alleles an organism carries is called the genotype. It refers to the allelic composition at one or more gene loci, such as having AA, Aa, or aa for a gene with two alleles. This is distinct from the phenotype, which is what you observe about the organism (its traits), because environment can influence how genotype shows up. It’s also different from a karyotype, which is about chromosome number and structure, and from the genome, which is the entire set of genetic material. So the genotype specifically captures the allelic makeup that underlies an organism’s heredity.

Genetic makeup described by the specific alleles an organism carries is called the genotype. It refers to the allelic composition at one or more gene loci, such as having AA, Aa, or aa for a gene with two alleles. This is distinct from the phenotype, which is what you observe about the organism (its traits), because environment can influence how genotype shows up. It’s also different from a karyotype, which is about chromosome number and structure, and from the genome, which is the entire set of genetic material. So the genotype specifically captures the allelic makeup that underlies an organism’s heredity.

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