Genotype vs Phenotype: Differences and Comparison

What is the difference between genotype and phenotype (genotype vs phenotype)?

Although the term genotype and phenotype may sound a bit similar, there is a difference between the two.

An organism’s genotype is the set of genes that the organism carries, while its phenotype is all of the organism’s characteristics. Its genotype and environment influence the observable characteristics of the organism.

We will be discussing more on genotype vs phenotype and how the environment influences an organism’s traits. So, stay with us as we continue this discussion to understand more about the differences between genotype and phenotype.

Definition of Genotype

In biology, the genotype is a set of genes in DNA that is responsible for an organism’s unique traits or character.

The arrangement of nucleotides in a gene can vary between copies of the same gene.

A gene can exist in various forms in organisms and they are called alleles. The fixed position on the chromosome that carries a particular gene is called the locus.

For a person who inherits two identical alleles from their parent, his or her genotype is homozygous at the locus. But if someone has two different alleles, his or her genotype is said to be heterozygous for that locus.

Alleles of a particular gene can be autosomal dominant or recessive. In general, an autosomal dominant allele is usually expressed over a recessive allele.

The combination of alleles that a person has for a particular gene is their genotype.

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Genotype examples

Let’s explore classic examples of eye colour.

A gene encodes eye colour.
Here, the allele is either blue or brown. One of the eye colours is inherited from the father or from the mother.

The brown allele is dominant (B), while the blue allele is recessive (b). In this situation, if the person inherits two different alleles, their eye colour will be brown. For that person to have blue eyes, they must be homozygous for the blue-eye allele.

Other examples of the genotype include height, hair colour, and shoe size.

Definition of Phenotype

Phenotype describes the observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The difference between genotype and phenotype is that genotype is inherited from the parents of an organism, while an organism’s phenotype is all of its observable characteristics.

An organism’s phenotype is influenced by the genotype and the environment, while the genotype is not. The phenotype is also influenced by other factors like epigenetic modifications and environmental and lifestyle factors.

Phenotype examples

The environmental factors that will likely influence an organism’s phenotype are temperature, humidity, stress, and nutrition.

Let’s take flamingos for example to understand how the environment influences the phenotype.

Flamingos naturally have a dull grey but change colour due to what they say in their habitat. Flamingos having pink feathers is not a hereditary trait.

Flamingos have a bright pink colour, which comes from beta-carotene. It’s a red-orange pigment found in high amounts in brine fly larvae, algae, and brine shrimp they eat.

Another example we can look into is the human skin. The human gene can control the type and amount of melanin we produce.

But exposure to ultraviolet light in sunny climates causes the melanin in the skin to become darker.

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Difference between Genotype and Phenotype

Below are important differences between genotype and phenotype.

Genotype	Phenotype
Here, the hereditary information of the organism is in the form of genes in the DNA. It remains the same throughout the organism’s life.	The observable characteristics and traits of the organism is known as the phenotype.
The same genotype will produce the same phenotype.	The same phenotype generally may belong to the same genotype or may not.
Genotype is inherited and present in the body as genetic material.	Expression of genes as the external appearance.
Offspring inherit their genotype from their parents.	Offspring do not inherit their phenotype from their parents.
Genotype can be determined by various scientific methods like polymerase chain reaction	The Phenotype can be determined by closely observing the organism.
This is affected by genes.	This is affected by genotype and the environment.

Genotype vs Phenotype: Comparison

Definition

Genotype: It refers to the information within two alleles in the cell and also the genes in the DNA of an individual.

Phenotype: It’s the sum of an organism’s observable characteristics, which is influenced by the genotype and environment. Observable traits like hair colour or height.

Examples

Genotype: DNA susceptibility to diseases.

Phenotype: Height, hair colour, eye colour, weight, and the ability to roll the tongue.

Contains

Genotype: The entire hereditary information of a person.

Phenotype: Expressed genes only.

Inheritance

Genotype: Partly inherited by offspring. One of the two alleles is passed down to the offspring during reproduction.

Phenotype: It can’t be inherited.

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Genotype vs Phenotype

The combination of alleles that a person has for a particular gene makes the genotype for offspring.

For example, if a child inherits a dominant brown allele (B) and a recessive blue (b), the child will be genetically heterozygous for those physical traits. Because one allele is dominant, the child’s eye colour will be brown.

The phenotype however cannot be inherited from parents. It only relates to the observable characteristics of an organism, which is influenced by the genotype and other factors like epigenetics factors, temperature, humidity, and stress.

Inheritance of Genotype and Phenotype

Biologically, genomes are passed down from one generation to the other. This occurs biologically and is not influenced or changed by the environment.

In biology, a sexually reproducing organism receives two alleles, which make up its genotype. Every time these organisms reproduce, an identical copy of one of these alleles is passed down to the offspring.

While phenotype is influenced by genotype and environmental factors, they cannot be inherited by offspring. Phenotypes can only be found in the next generation of offspring if there is a reoccurrence of the right combination of genotype and environmental factors.

Different genotypes can produce the same phenotype just as different phenotypes can emerge from the same genotype.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are frequently asked questions on Genotype vs Phenotype.

What are the names of the different types of genotypes?

The different types of genotypes include homozygous recessive (pp), homozygous dominant (PP), and heterozygous (Pp). Biologically, both the homozygous dominant and heterozygous genotypes will show the same phenotypes.

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Are alleles different from the genotypes?

Alleles are variants of genes, while the set of genes are the reasons organisms have specific traits.

Is there any relationship between genotype and phenotype?

Phenotype refers to the observable physical trait in an organism but is closely related to the genotype.

Conclusion

The difference between genotype and phenotype is that genotype is inherited from the parents of an organism, while an organism’s phenotype is all of its observable characteristics.

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References

Toppr: Difference between Phenotype and Genotype
Byjus: Difference Between Phenotype and Genotype
Diffen: Genotype vs Phenotype
News-medical: Genotype Versus Phenotype
Evolution.berkeley: Genotype versus phenotype
A Karmiloff-Smith, J Grant, S Ewing… – Journal of medical …, 2003: Using case study comparisons to explore genotype-phenotype correlations in Williams-Beuren syndrome

Genotype vs Phenotype: Differences and Comparison