Slide 14

Genotypes and Phenotypes

In order to understand some additional contributors to a person's genetic background, one must understand terms like genotype, phenotype, and alleles. Cancer may start as a new genotype, that is, as a change in the genetic makeup of a person, but it ultimately produces a new phenotype as well. A phenotype is the physical manifestation of a genotype in the form of a trait or disease. Cancer is known for its ever-changing genotypes and phenotypes.