What does genotype mean?
Genotype is a genetics term for the genetic constitution of an organism, cell, or individual. It identifies the alleles an organism carries at one or more genetic loci and is commonly used in studies of inheritance, population variation, disease risk, and breeding. The most important distinction for understanding the word is between genotype and phenotype: genotype refers to underlying genetic information, while phenotype refers to the observable characteristics that result from that information interacting with the environment. Consequently, individuals with the same genotype may develop different phenotypes, and genetically similar organisms may show different visible traits under different conditions. In everyday conversation, genotype is uncommon and usually sounds specialized or academic, but it is central to modern biology. Knowing the term helps distinguish genetic cause from outward appearance, particularly in medicine, agriculture, and evolutionary studies.
nounThe genotype of an organism, cell, or individual is its genetic constitution: the particular alleles it carries at one or more genetic loci. It may also refer to the genetic makeup characteristic of a group, population, or organism.
- The genetic constitution of an organism, cell, or individual, especially the set of alleles it carries at a particular genetic locus.
- A class or type of organism defined by a shared genetic makeup.
"The genotype of the plant determines its potential resistance to disease, although environmental conditions will influence whether that resistance develops."
"Researchers sequenced the plant to determine whether the unusual leaf shape was associated with a particular genotype."
"In population genetics, the frequency of a genotype can change substantially over several generations."
The plural is used for distinct genetic constitutions, as in comparisons between individuals or among population groups.
"The three genotypes showed different patterns of susceptibility to the infection."
Your genotype is the genetic instruction set; your phenotype is the visible result of that instruction set meeting the world around you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does genotype come from?
Genotype is a compound formed from gene and type, with type ultimately derived from Greek typos, meaning “model” or “pattern.” Its components belong to the same scientific tradition that developed the modern language of inheritance during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The word belongs to a wider family of terms associated with Greek genos, “kind” or “origin,” reflected in gene, genetic, genetics, and genus.
Related word forms
How genotype is actually used
Genotype is primarily a technical term in biology, genetics, medicine, and related fields. It is usually distinguished from phenotype, which refers to observable characteristics rather than genetic makeup.
Easily confused with genotype
A genotype is an organism's underlying genetic makeup, whereas a phenotype is the observable traits produced through the interaction of genotype and environment.