ELANCO Advanced Animal Science Practice Exam

Genotype is the genetic makeup of an individual—the specific genes and alleles it carries, inherited from its parents. This genetic blueprint underpins inherited information, even though the traits we see (the phenotype) are how those genes are expressed in a given environment. For example, coat color or blood type are traits shaped by the genetic code, but the genotype is the actual set of genes responsible for those traits. Behavioral traits and metabolic rate are phenotypes shaped by both genetics and environment, not the genetic code itself. So the genetic makeup described by genotype is the collection of genes, not the outward characteristics you can observe.