Genotype: The Genetic Blueprint
A genotype is the specific genetic makeup of an organism, representing the combination of alleles it possesses for a particular gene or set of genes. It is the internal genetic code, or the 'instruction manual,' inherited from its parents.
Phenotype: The Observable Trait
A phenotype is the observable physical or biochemical characteristic of an organism, such as eye color, height, or blood type. It is the physical expression of the genotype, which can also be influenced by environmental factors.
An Example: Pea Plants
A pea plant might have a genotype with one allele for purple flowers and one for white flowers. Because the purple allele is dominant, the plant's phenotype is purple flowers. The genotype contains the genetic information (purple and white alleles), while the phenotype is the trait you can see (purple flowers).