National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Practice Exam

The correct answer is genotype, as it refers specifically to the genetic constitution or makeup of an organism, which includes the inherited factors passed down from parents to offspring. The genotype encompasses the specific alleles that an individual carries, which can influence traits and characteristics. It represents the underlying genetic information that helps determine an organism’s traits, but it is distinct from the phenotype, which is the visible expression of those traits.

In contrast, chromosomes are structures within cells that contain genetic material, but they do not directly represent the inherited factors themselves. The genome refers to the complete set of genetic material present in an organism, including all of its genes, but the term is broader than genotype, which focuses specifically on the genetic characteristics passed down through generations. Thus, the term genotype is the most accurate in describing the inherited genetic factors.