phenotype
What is another word for phenotype? Here is its meaning, with related words and examples.
Noun — The set of observable characteristics an organism actually has — height, eye colour, blood group, behaviour — produced by its genes interacting with its environment.
Antonyms
How to use phenotype
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
phenotype and genotype
disease phenotype
phenotypic expression
wild-type phenotype
Scientific; the adjective is 'phenotypic'.
Etymology
From Greek phainein 'to show' and typos 'type, impression', so literally 'the shown type'.
Full origin of phenotype →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?
The genotype is the genetic code an organism carries; the phenotype is what you can actually observe. Environment, development and chance all sit between the two, so identical genotypes can produce different phenotypes.
Can a phenotype change during someone's lifetime?
Yes. Weight, muscle mass, skin tone and many disease traits shift with diet, exposure and age, even though the underlying genotype is fixed.
Is behaviour part of the phenotype?
Yes. Anything observable that arises from an organism's genes and environment counts, including behaviour, physiology and biochemistry, not just appearance.
