AP Biology · Lesson 5 of 6 · Unit 5
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A single genotype does not always lock an organism into one physical outcome; environmental cues can alter how genes are expressed or how proteins function, creating phenotypic plasticity. On the AP Biology exam (Unit 5, Topic 5.5), this concept is tested through experimental scenarios—such as cloned plants grown in different soils or reptile eggs incubated at varying temperatures—where you must distinguish environmental effects from genetic differences.
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An organism’s phenotype is the product of its genotype and its environment. Environmental factors (such as temperature, pH, photoperiod, diet, or the presence of predators) can influence traits in two main ways:
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a single genotype to produce more than one phenotype when exposed to different environmental conditions. Because the DNA sequence remains unchanged, these phenotypic shifts are generally not passed on to offspring unless the offspring experience the same environment.
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