noun

phenotype

FEE-noh-typ

Phenotype (noun) means the set of observable characteristics an organism actually has — height, eye colour, blood group, behaviour — produced by its genes interacting with its environment. Example: “Two plants with the same genotype can have a very different phenotype if one is kept in the dark.”

noun

technical The set of observable characteristics an organism actually has — height, eye colour, blood group, behaviour — produced by its genes interacting with its environment.

"Two plants with the same genotype can have a very different phenotype if one is kept in the dark."

"Blue eyes are a recessive phenotype."

medical In medicine, a recognisable pattern of features that defines a subgroup of patients with the same condition.

"Researchers identified an inflammatory phenotype of asthma that responds poorly to steroids."

How to use phenotype

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWhat an organism actually looks like and does, as opposed to the genes it carries.

When to use it

Scientific; the adjective is 'phenotypic'.

Easily confused with

phenotype → genotype → haplotype karyotype

Common pairings

phenotype and genotype disease phenotype phenotypic expression wild-type phenotype

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Two plants with the same genotype can have a very different _____ if one is kept in the dark.

Etymology

From Greek phainein 'to show' and typos 'type, impression', so literally 'the shown type'.

Origin: Greek

Antonyms

genotype

Related words

genotype

Rhymes for phenotype

hype type skype teletype prototype archetype stereotype

See all rhymes for 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.

What is the meaning of phenotype?

"phenotype" (noun) means the set of observable characteristics an organism actually has — height, eye colour, blood group, behaviour — produced by its genes interacting with its environment.

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