Which one of the following statements would most clearly refer to a person's genotype?
To determine which statement would most clearly refer to a person's genotype, let's start by understanding what genotype means.
Genotype refers to the genetic constitution, or the inherited genetic material, of an individual. It represents the specific combination of alleles (variants of genes) that an individual possesses for a particular trait or set of traits.
Now, let's review the given statements and determine which one refers to a person's genotype:
1) "She has blue eyes." This statement describes a physical characteristic, but it does not directly indicate the specific genetic makeup of the person. Eye color can be influenced by multiple genes, making it more of a phenotypic characteristic (based on observable traits).
2) "He carries one copy of the sickle cell allele." This statement refers to the presence of a specific allele, the sickle cell allele. It indicates that the person is a carrier of the allele, which is related to a genetic disorder called sickle cell disease. Therefore, it is a statement about the person's genotype.
3) "Her hair has highlights." Similar to the first statement, this statement describes a physical characteristic (hair with highlights), but it does not directly provide information about the underlying genetic makeup. Hair color can be influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors.
4) "He is tall like his father." This statement refers to a trait (height) that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. While height can have a genetic component, it is not specific enough to indicate the person's genotype.
Based on the explanations provided, statement (2) - "He carries one copy of the sickle cell allele" - most clearly refers to a person's genotype, as it specifically mentions the presence of a particular allele.