Final answer:
Race is considered by scientists to be a social construct rather than a biological category, with genetic variation within the same 'race' often being as substantial as, or greater than, the variation between different 'races'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The argument that common concepts of race do not correspond to any meaningful biological category is supported by a consensus among anthropologists, biologists, and geneticists. When analyzing the human genome, it becomes clear that the genetic markers for physical characteristics we associate with race—such as skin color and hair texture—are considerably few and do not justify the racial categories socially constructed throughout history. For instance, of the approximately 45,000 genetic markers, only about 15 control for skin pigmentation. Social science organizations such as the American Association of Anthropologists and the American Psychological Association have officially rejected biological explanations of race. Instead, it is widely acknowledged that race has been used to justify discrimination and form a basis for social hierarchies—an insight reflecting the understanding that race is a social construction rather than a biologically distinct classification. The determination that the variance within supposed racial groups is often equal to or greater than the variance between different groups further discredits the scientific validity of racial classifications.