Final answer:
The genetic makeup of an individual is called their genotype. It includes all the alleles for genes that an individual inherits from their parents, determining inherited traits, as opposed to their phenotype which refers to the observable characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Genetic Makeup of an Individual
The genetic makeup of a given individual is called their genotype. A genotype represents the combination of alleles, or versions of a gene, that an individual has. In simpler terms, it's essentially a set of instructions coded within DNA that determines an organism's inherited traits. For instance, a human body cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes which house genes. These genes can be expressed as proteins that contribute to a person's phenotype - the observable characteristics such as eye color, hair color, and height.
It is important to understand that an individual's genotype is the unique set of genes they carry. This set includes both dominant and recessive alleles, where dominant alleles are expressed over recessive ones. The genotype is what is passed down from parents to offspring, contributing to the genetic diversity within a population's gene pool.
The phenotype, on the other hand, is how these genes are physically, behaviorally, or biochemically expressed. Mendelian genetics show that even if organisms share a phenotype, their underlying genotypes may differ, as seen in Mendel's hybridization experiments with pea plants. Thus, when discussing the genetic makeup of an individual, we're referring to their genotype, not their phenotype.