An organism's genotype is
the set of alleles an organisms has for a trait
an allele that is expressed whenever it is present
a trait that is expressed in a homozygous individual
an observable trait
The correct answer is: the set of alleles an organism has for a trait.
The correct answer is: the set of alleles an organism has for a trait.
An organism's genotype refers to the set of alleles it has for a particular trait. Alleles are the different forms of a gene that can exist.
To determine an organism's genotype, you will need to examine its DNA or genetic material. By analyzing the DNA sequence, you can identify the specific alleles present in an organism's genotype.
For example, let's consider the trait for flower color in a plant. The gene responsible for flower color may have two possible alleles, one for red flowers (R) and one for white flowers (W). An organism's genotype for this trait could be either RR (homozygous for the red allele), WW (homozygous for the white allele), or RW (heterozygous, having one red and one white allele).
It's important to note that an organism's genotype does not always determine its observable traits. This is because not all alleles may be expressed or visible in the phenotype, which refers to the observable physical characteristics of an organism.
The expression of an allele is influenced by dominance and recessiveness. In some cases, when an allele is present, it will be expressed, meaning the trait associated with that allele will be observable. This is referred to as a dominant allele. However, there are also cases where an allele is only expressed if there are two copies of it, meaning the organism is homozygous for that trait. This is referred to as a recessive allele.
Determining an organism's observable trait, or phenotype, requires considering both its genotype and the interaction between the alleles involved in that trait.