Noun. /FEE-noh-type/
by Sarah Angle
What does it mean?
A phenotype is the observable physical trait that is determined by an individual’s genetics or DNA and the environment. DNA contains genes that provide instructions for proteins, which determine these observable traits (ie, hair color). The environment, or everything outside of one’s DNA (ie, diet, temperature, light), can influence gene expression to alter phenotype.
How do I use it in a sentence?
“The flower’s phenotype changed when it was grown in different seasons.”
DNA (1) and environmental factors (2) together shape an individual’s phenotype (labeled 3, 4, 5). Some examples of this include height (3), eye color (4), and flower petal color (5). The image was created by the author via BioRender.
Etymology
The term is derived from phainein (Greek, meaning ‘to show’) and typos (Greek, meaning ‘form’). Together, this means “to show the form.”
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Biology, pharmacology
