Definition

The genetic information of an organism that determines its traits, including the specific alleles it carries.

Example

Scientists study the genotype of plants to understand how they will grow in different environments.

Conversation

I was reading about how our genotype influences our traits.

That's interesting! I always thought it was just about the environment.

Yeah, but the genotype really determines a lot of what we see physically.

True! It's amazing how much genetics plays a role in who we are.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Genotype → It is formed from "geno-" (from Greek "genos", meaning race or kind) and "-type" (from Greek "typos", meaning type or model). The word "genotype" refers to the genetic constitution or type of an organism, specifically its alleles and genes.

Memory Tip

Think of 'genos' meaning 'kind' and 'typos' meaning 'type' — together, they help you remember that a genotype is the specific kind of genetic makeup of an organism.

Visually Confused Words