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Home Q & A Board Biology-Related Homework Help Genetics and Developmental Biology
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rkarthik301 rkarthik301
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12 years ago
Why does natural selection act on the phenotype, rather than the genotype? I thought the genotype basically determined the phenotype?
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#1
12 years ago
Genotype does determine phenotype but it is the phenotype which is exposed to the external environment so selection pressures can only act on the traits individuals have, not what gives them the trait i.e. if the same trait is produced by two different genotypes selection will act equally on both.
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#2
12 years ago
The genotype does determine phenotype. The genotype are the genes that code for the phenotypes which are the visual characteristics an individual shows, such as pea colour, shape, height, form (mendel's example) e.t.c. So natural selection will choose (act on) the best phenotypes. So it really does indirectly act on the genotype as well.
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