It is common to think that physical traits and personality are transmitted directly from parents to children, but the reality is more complex. What role do genetics play?
News Colombia.
While genetics plays a crucial role in the transmission of certain traits, chance and environment are equally important factors in the development of each person. According to a study by experts in DNA analysis, there are some traits that are more likely to be inherited.
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According to myadnlab.com a multidisciplinary group of biologists, biochemists and legal experts with extensive experience in DNA analysis Each individual receives 50% of his or her genetic inheritance from his or her mother and the other 50% from his or her father.
This means that for each characteristic, there are two genetic variants: one that manifests itself physically and one that remains hidden. When that person has children, he or she again passes on two variants, resulting in up to four possible combinations for each trait. It is therefore chance that has the final say in the expression of these traits.
The article also mentions that some traits, such as height, hair color, skin or eyes, depend on several genes acting together, creating even more possibilities in genetic combinations.
Below we analyze some traits that do have a strong genetic influence:
The Color of the Eyes
Children’s eyes can reflect those of their parents, but it’s not a simple process. There are dominant and recessive genes. Dark-colored eyes, for example, tend to prevail over light-colored ones. So if one parent has brown eyes and the other has blue, the child is more likely to have brown eyes.
Skin Tone
Humans have around 25,000 genes that pass on their genetic heritage, including those that determine skin tone. Dark skin is usually dominant over light skin, meaning a child is more likely to inherit the darker tone from their parents.
Hair Color and Shape
The gene for dark hair color is dominant over light hair, which explains why blonde and red hair are becoming less common. In addition to the color, the shape of the hair is also inherited; wavy hair prevails over curly hair, and curly hair prevails over straight hair.
Facial Features
Certain facial features also have a tendency to be dominant. A child is more likely to inherit thick lips, an oval face, or a straight nose if one parent possesses these traits. In particular, the shape of the nose tends to be almost identical to that of one parent.
Weight and Height
40% of the genes that influence weight are inherited, but the rest depends on diet and exercise. As for height, genetics play a determining role in 90%, although growth hormones and diet are also crucial factors.
Intelligence
Intelligence also has a hereditary component. It is estimated that 55% of cognitive abilities, such as motor, linguistic, emotional and spatial skills, are inherited from the mother. The rest is influenced by the environment, nutrition, emotional relationship with parents and education.
The Character
Finally, genetic inheritance explains 40% of the character of children. The environment, lived experiences and brain development complete the formula of what constitutes an individual’s personality.
It is not inherited
Hair loss
According to recent studies, alopecia is not inherited directly from parents, but from maternal grandparents.
Personality
This is a topic that generates much controversy within the scientific community, since most researchers agree that genetic inheritance and social environment have a more or less equal impact on the development of personality.