What is the difference between a genotype and a phenotype?

A genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism, while a phenotype is its observable characteristics.

Genotype refers to the genetic information that an organism inherits from its parents. This includes all the genes and alleles that determine an individual's traits. Genotypes can be expressed as letters or symbols, such as AA, Aa, or aa, depending on the type of inheritance involved.

Phenotype, on the other hand, refers to the physical and behavioural traits that are observable in an organism. These traits are the result of the interaction between an individual's genotype and its environment. Examples of phenotypic traits include eye colour, height, and behaviour.

While genotype and phenotype are related, they are not always the same. For example, an individual may inherit a recessive allele for a certain trait from both parents (i.e. aa genotype), but if the dominant allele masks the expression of the recessive allele, the individual will have the dominant phenotype (i.e. Aa or AA).

Understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype is important in fields such as genetics, evolution, and medicine. By studying the genetic basis of phenotypic traits, scientists can gain insights into how organisms develop and evolve, as well as how genetic disorders arise and can be treated.