What does the genetic constitution of an organism refer to?

The genetic constitution of an organism specifically refers to its genotype. The genotype encompasses the specific alleles an organism possesses for a given trait or set of traits, representing the hereditary information inherited from its parents. This information is crucial as it determines the potential characteristics and traits that an organism can exhibit, influencing its phenotype, which is the actual expression of these traits.

The other choices represent different concepts in genetics. The gene pool refers to the total collection of genes and alleles in a population, emphasizing the genetic diversity available within that group rather than in an individual organism. Genus is a taxonomic classification that groups species based on shared characteristics but does not provide information about the genetic makeup of an organism. The genome, although related, refers more broadly to the complete set of genetic material (DNA) of an organism, which includes both the genes as well as non-coding sequences, rather than focusing solely on the alleles that comprise its genotype.