What is genotype?

• A. Genetic makeup of an organism
• B. Observable traits
• C. Classification
• D. Taming animals

Answer: (A)

Genotype is the genetic makeup of an organism—the specific genes and alleles it carries inherited from its parents. This genetic information can influence traits even if you can’t see them yet, unlike the observable traits you do see, which make up the phenotype. In livestock work, genotype matters for predicting inheritance of qualities like milk production, growth rate, disease resistance, or coat color, and it guides decisions when selecting breeding stock. Some traits follow simple inheritance with clear dominant and recessive patterns, while others are influenced by many genes and the environment, so the genotype doesn’t always determine the exact outcome. Recognizing genotype as the underlying genetic information helps explain why two animals can look similar but carry different potential for their offspring.