The observable characteristics of an organism are its?

The observable characteristics of an organism are its?

• A. Phenotype
• B. Genotype
• C. Allele
• D. Locus

Answer: (A)

What you can observe about an organism—the traits you can see or measure—is its phenotype. This includes physical features like height, fur color, or leaf shape, and even some behaviors, because phenotype is the expression of genes in a given environment. The genotype is the genetic blueprint, the alleles are the different forms a gene can take, and the locus is the specific spot on a chromosome where a gene sits. So while the genotype and its variants help determine traits, the observable characteristics are the phenotype.

What you can observe about an organism—the traits you can see or measure—is its phenotype. This includes physical features like height, fur color, or leaf shape, and even some behaviors, because phenotype is the expression of genes in a given environment. The genotype is the genetic blueprint, the alleles are the different forms a gene can take, and the locus is the specific spot on a chromosome where a gene sits. So while the genotype and its variants help determine traits, the observable characteristics are the phenotype.