What is the term for the alleles an organism has for a particular characteristic, often represented by symbols?

The term that describes the alleles an organism possesses for a specific characteristic is known as the genotype. The genotype consists of the genetic makeup, represented by symbols that denote the different alleles, such as 'AA' for homozygous dominant, 'Aa' for heterozygous, or 'aa' for homozygous recessive. This genetic configuration determines the potential traits that can be expressed in the organism, although the actual observable traits may also be influenced by environmental factors.

In contrast, phenotype refers to the observable characteristics or traits of an organism, which are the result of the genotype interacting with the environment. Karyotype refers to the number and appearance of chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell, which is not specific to the alleles of a particular characteristic. Allele frequency pertains to how often a particular allele appears in a population and does not apply to an individual organism's specific set of alleles.