What is the term for the genetic composition of an organism?

The term that accurately describes the genetic composition of an organism is genotype. The genotype refers specifically to the internal genetic makeup, including the alleles that an individual carries for a specific set of genes. It encompasses all the hereditary information passed down from the parents, which influences the potential traits the organism can express.

In contrast, while genetic code relates to the sequence of nucleotides in DNA that dictate how proteins are made, it doesn't specifically refer to an organism's genetic makeup as a whole. The genome is a broader term that refers to the complete set of genes or genetic material present in an organism, which includes the genotype but may not encapsulate the entirety of the information regarding trait expression. Phenotype, on the other hand, describes the observable and measurable traits of an organism, which result from the interaction of the genotype with the environment. Understanding these distinctions clarifies why genotype is the most accurate term regarding genetic composition.