Phenotype

The word “phenotype” refers to the stuff we can observe about an organism. It reminds us of that old song by the Police: “Every Breath You Take.” Sting is telling someone that he sees every breath they take, every move they make, every smile they fake, every vow they break. In other words, he’s singing about their phenotype. Which is kind of an awkward word to rhyme with, so we can see why they didn’t include it in the song.

Anyway, what exactly is a phenotype? We’re glad we asked. It’s a mix of our genotype—our genetic makeup—and our environment. It’s how we look, how we act, the things we say, and how we say them. It’s everything about us that can be observed. Even in a Sting-y, stalkerish way.