Did you get the same beautiful smile as your mom? Perhaps blue eyes just like your dad’s?
Genetics is an amazing thing. Whether you like it or not, these are your genes, just like any other physical feature. You got these things from your predecessors, and the punnet square did it’s magic in deciding what you get.
However, there are some other things you’ve inherited from your predecessors. You might be surprised by many of them.
Here are a few:
Success In Academia
Don’t blame your children for all their bad marks in school, point that finger at– yourself! Some recent research indicates that academic success actually depends on our genetic inheritance. About 55% of our genes influence on our learning potential. In other words, if you and your partner were successful in school, your children are very likely to achieve success as well.
How Popular You Become
The key to our popularity is written in our genes. This fact is rooted in some old times when peoples’ existence was focused on the precious information about sources of possible danger and food. People passed these genes to their offspring. So, those who inherited these genes turn out to be more popular amongst their friends.
Your Car Driving Skills
Scientist believe that 30% of people have inherited the ability or inability to be good drivers. In other words, you may pass or fail your driving test if you have a certain genetic disposition. Or you could have advantages or problems with orientation, speed of reactions, etc. So driving ends up turning out to be a very bad or a very good thing due to traits we inherit.
Color Blindness
There are people who can’t see the difference between colors. This usually occurs in the male population and depends on genes inherited from our mother’s side. There’s a scientific explanation for color blindness. While women have the so-called emergency X chromosome inherited from their fathers, men don’t have it.
Whether You Are Shortsighted
Shortsightedness is also inherited. If both of your parents are shortsighted, you have about a 50% chance to develop it as well.
Luckily, if you spend less time straining your eyes, you can avoid this unpleasant issue.
Our Desire For Coffee
Are you a coffee addict? Your genes are partially guilty for this. A comparative study included two groups of people, those who are crazy about coffee and the others who are indifferent when it comes to consuming this drink. The results of this study showed that coffee addiction depends on genes. People who absorb caffeine slowly are usually not that thrilled with coffee.
Lactose Intolerant Or Not
According to research, about 65% of the adult population suffers from lactose intolerance. To put it simply, they have issues in digesting milk sugar. At a very early age, when children need milk in order to survive, their body creates an enzyme that is responsible for lactose digestion. However, this ability changes or even disappears with aging. That’s why some people have problems in digesting milk sugar.
Our Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol level depends on our genes. According to a study, 1 in 500 people will have this problem regardless their lifestyle and eating habits. So, it seems genes are stronger than many other external factors.
Diabetes
Sometimes it happens that children as well as adolescents suffer from diabetes type 2. This type of diabetes is more likely to occur in older people. If it happens to young people, then it has to do with a genetic inheritance.
Mother’s Family Link To Male Pattern Baldness
Men actually inherit the gene responsible for baldness from their mothers. This genes is settled in X chromosome. But also, some other genes inherited from your father’s side may have a significant influence. The studies showed that environmental factors can contribute hair loss as well.
Well there you have it. Don’t go blaming Mom and Dad too much, but if they take a dig at you for one of these things, let them know it could’ve been their genes!
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