Final answer:
The term 'wild-type' refers to the most commonly occurring genotype or phenotype. It represents the standard or norm in genetic traits. Other phenotypes or genotypes are considered variants of the wild type.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term wild-type refers to the most commonly occurring genotype or phenotype for a given characteristic in a population. It is considered the standard or norm in terms of genetic traits. Other phenotypes or genotypes are considered variants of the wild type.
For example, in rabbits, coat color can have multiple alleles. The wild-type allele is the one that represents the most common fur color, while other alleles may produce different colors.
It is also possible for a mutant allele to be dominant over the wild type, resulting in the expression of a mutant phenotype even when only one copy of the mutant allele is present.