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Glite Dictionary
🧬 To mimic genetically 🧬 A lookalike trait
phenocopy

phenocopy

1 9.9
An organism or trait caused by the environment that looks like a gene mutation
  • noun
  • /ˈfiːnoʊˌkoʊpi/
  • Specialized
: fenocopia
  • A phenocopy can often be mistaken for a genetic mutation.

Examples

  • The plant exhibited a phenocopy of the mutant strain.

  • Researchers studied how environmental stress created a phenocopy in the fruit flies' wing shape.

  • The drought produced a phenocopy of the mutation, showing the same leaf deformation.

  • Exposure to certain chemicals can result in a phenocopy that looks identical to a genetic disorder.

  • The drought led to phenocopies in several plants that adapted their appearance to survive.

  • Researchers found that stress could produce phenocopies in some species, mimicking traits they would normally acquire genetically.

  • Certain environmental conditions can create phenocopies, making it hard to discern between genetic and environmental influences on an organism.

Surface Forms

phenocopy singular
phenocopies plural

Morphology

phenocopy = pheno + copy (semi-transparent) = pheno + copy

While 'copy' is clear, 'pheno' relates to phenotype, which may not be immediately clear to all learners.

Etymology

The word phenocopy joins pheno- ('to show' or 'appearance') and copy ('duplicate'). So, a phenocopy is a 'duplicate in appearance' caused by the environment rather than by a gene.