What is the term for an organism's genetic makeup?

The term that refers to an organism's genetic makeup is "genotype." This encompasses the specific set of genes that an individual possesses, which can determine various characteristics and traits of that organism. The genotype consists of alleles—different forms of genes that can be either dominant or recessive—and is crucial for understanding inheritance patterns and the expression of traits within a population.

In contrast, "phenotype" refers to the observable characteristics or traits of an organism, which results from the interaction between the genotype and the environment. "Allele" is a single variant of a gene, contributing to the genotype but not defining the complete genetic makeup. Lastly, a "trait" is a specific characteristic or feature that is expressed due to the organism's genotype, resulting from its genetic information. Therefore, while all these terms are related to genetics, "genotype" specifically denotes the entire genetic composition.