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We have primarily focused on how genes and genotype inheritance do not always follow Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance. However, the way that this genetic diversity is expressed as a phenotype can also be influenced by environmental conditions. In other words, the same genotype can result in multiple phenotypes. In this section, we will discuss some examples of how different environmental conditions can lead to different phenotypes. This phenomenon, where the same genotype is exhibited as different phenotypes in different environments, is called phenotypic plasticity.
Examples of Phenotypic Plasticity
An organism interacts with its environment in a variety of ways. In addition, different environmental conditions influence an organism. Some of these variables include temperature, nutrition, acidity, UV exposure, and the presence of specific chemicals. The following are a few examples of scenarios where the environment has an effect on an organism’s phenotype:
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In some animals, as winter approaches, the decrease in temperature and hours of daylight triggers a phenotypic change in fur color. The animals shift their color to white in order to blend into the snowy landscape. Their fur color shifts back during the summer.
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pH can affect the color of flowers. For some species, low pH results in flowers of one color while high pH results in flowers of another color. This is often due to how pH affects the availability of specific ions and nutrients.
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The growth rate of many plants and animals is controlled in part by nutrient and water availability. While the size of an organism is heritable through genetics, this is mediated by environmental resources.
