What term describes the physical appearance of an organism?

The term that describes the physical appearance of an organism is phenotype. Phenotype encompasses all observable characteristics and traits of an organism, which can include physical attributes such as shape, size, color, and behavior. The phenotype is influenced by the organism's genotype, which is the genetic makeup, as well as environmental factors.

Understanding phenotype is crucial in genetics since it is how genetic traits are ultimately expressed. For example, a plant with a specific genotype may exhibit various flower colors, sizes, or growth patterns depending on its genetic information and environmental conditions. In contrast, genotype refers to the specific alleles present in the organism, while alleles are different forms of a gene that can influence traits. Monomers are the building blocks of larger molecules and do not relate to the physical traits of organisms. Thus, the definition and significance of phenotype clearly illustrate its role in describing how an organism appears.