Skip to main content
Back

Penetrance and Expressivity definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/13
  • Genotype
    Genetic makeup of an organism, determining potential traits, regardless of whether those traits are visibly expressed.
  • Phenotype
    Observable characteristics or traits of an organism, which may not always match the underlying genetic code.
  • Allele
    Variant form of a gene that can influence specific traits, such as color or intensity, in an organism.
  • Penetrance
    Proportion of individuals with a specific genetic variant who actually display the associated trait.
  • Expressivity
    Variation in the intensity or degree of a trait among individuals with the same genetic variant.
  • Environmental Factors
    External influences that can mask or alter the visible expression of genetic traits.
  • Epistasis
    Interaction where one gene can mask or modify the effect of another gene on a trait.
  • Modifier
    Gene that alters the expression or intensity of another gene's effect on a trait.
  • Suppressor
    Gene that reduces or prevents the expression of another gene's associated trait.
  • Intensity
    Degree to which a trait is visibly expressed, ranging from weak to strong appearances.
  • Range
    Spectrum of possible appearances or degrees of a trait, such as shades from light to dark.
  • Trait
    Specific characteristic or feature of an organism, which can be influenced by genes and environment.
  • Subtlety
    Quality of a trait being difficult to observe or detect, even when genetically present.