Are You Genetically More Similar To Mom Or Dad?

Are you genetically more similar to your mom or dad? Turns out, that's a complicated question to answer.

Transcript

00:00Maybe you get your nose from your mom's side of the family, but your ears definitely look

00:05more like dad's.

00:07Everyone gets a spattering of both of their parents' DNA, but which parent contributes

00:12more to the child, genetically speaking?

00:15Well, the answer to this question depends on what you're asking.

00:20If we're talking about chromosomes, which are DNA strands packaged as X and Y shaped

00:25molecules, children get an equal number from both parents.

00:30But the mitochondria, the so-called powerhouse of the cell, carries its own DNA, and we only

00:36inherit that from our mother's side.

00:39Because of this, technically, kids inherit more genes from mom, in terms of sheer numbers.

00:45But just because you carry certain genes doesn't mean they're all turned on, so to speak.

00:52Multiple switches sit on top of our DNA and tell our body which portions to read and translate

00:57into proteins, and which portions to ignore.

01:01Some of these switches can be passed down by parents to their children.

01:05These are called imprinted genes.

01:08For example, if a gene is paternally imprinted, and dad passes it down, that gene will be switched

01:15off in the child.

01:17But if the child gets that gene from mom, it will remain switched on.

01:22Studies in mice hint that more imprinted genes may be passed down from dad's side.

01:28But that same imbalance hasn't been seen in humans yet.

01:32In any case, many other factors, such as your environment, influence which genes get turned

01:37on or off in your body.

01:39You can say your gene expression is thanks to your parents, but it's complicated to say

01:44that it's similar to your parents, an expert told LiveScience.

01:48In short, it's complicated.