Difference Between Phenotype and Genotype

Difference Between Phenotype and Genotype: Phenotype and Genotype are two terms used in Genetics. Genetics is a branch of science that deals with genes, heredity, and genetic variations. These terms are given by Wilhelm Johannsen in 1909. The concepts of Phenotype and Genotype are further included in The Genotype Conception of Heredity in 1911. The major difference between Genotype and Phenotype is that Genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism while the Phenotype is the external physical appearance of an organism.

Difference between Phenotype and Genotype

Features	Phenotype	Genotype
Definition	The external appearance of an organism	Genetic composition of an organism
Inheritance	Not inherited from parents to offspring	Inherited from parents to offspring
Determination	Determined by observing the organism	Determined by biological methods like PCR
Effect of Environment	Affected by environmental conditions	Affected by genes
Visibility	Visible	Not visible
Appearance	Physical appearance outside the body	Genetic material inside the body
Change over time	Changes with time	Does not change with time
Relationship	It’s not necessary that organisms that have the same Phenotype will also have the same Genotype	One Genotype produces only one Phenotype.

What is Phenotype?

Phenotype can be defined as the external appearance of an organism. It includes physical, biochemical, behavioral, and physiological traits. The Phenotype is not inherited from parents to offspring. It’s not necessary that organisms that have the same Phenotype will also have the same Genotype. For example, a pea plant with Genotype TT is tall and with Genotype Tt is also tall. Biological methods are not required for determining the phenotype, it can be determined just by observing an organism. It is affected by genes as well as environmental conditions. The Phenotype is visible. It is responsible for the external characteristics of the body. It can change with time.

Examples include skin color, height, etc.

What is Genotype?

Genotype can be defined as the genetic composition of organisms. It represents the specific combination of genes an individual possesses. Genes are segments of DNA that contain information for making proteins. The genotype determines the potential range of traits that an organism can exhibit. Two different alleles or two same alleles at a gene loci of one character forms a Genotype. When both alleles of one character are similar, then it is said to be homozygous (Example- TT) and when both alleles of one character are different, then it is said to be heterozygous (example- Tt) The Genotypic characters are inherited from parents to offspring. The Genotype of an organism determines the Phenotype means the external appearance of an organism. One Genotype produces only one Phenotype. Genotype can be determined by biological methods like polymerase chain reaction. It is affected by genes. The Genotype is not visible. It is present as genetic material in the body. It does not change with time.

FAQs on Phenotype and Genotype

Q1: What is Phenotype?

Answer:

Phenotype refers to the external appearance of an organism. It is not inherited from parents to offspring.

Q2: What is Genotype?

Answer:

Genotype represents the genetic composition of an organism, it is the combination of alleles at a gene locus. It is inherited from parents to offspring.

Q3: Can organisms with the same Phenotype have different Genotypes?

Answer:

Yes, organisms with the same Phenotype may or may not have the same Genotype. Different Genotypes can result in the same Phenotype , as seen in the example of pea plants with Genotypes TT and Tt both being tall.

Q4: How are Phenotypes determined?

Answer:

Phenotypes are determined by observing the organism and affected by both genetic factors (genes) and environmental conditions. Phenotypes can change over time.

Q5: How are Genotypes determined?

Answer:

Genotypes can be determined by using biological methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Q6: Is the Genotype visible?

Answer:

No, the Genotype is not visible as it represents the genetic material inside the body. It cannot be directly observed but can be inferred from the expression of the Phenotype and through genetic analysis techniques. The Phenotype , on the other hand, is visible as the external appearance of an organism.