Which traits did you inherit from your parents? Science has the answers

Family traits
What science says about you
A mother's wisdom
You lose some...
...You gain some
Growing pains
Keeping your family in mind
Alzheimer's risks
Fertility from your father
Genetic dysfunction
Focus, fo... oh, shiny!
Serotonin is the key
Not exactly a 50/50 chance
Siblings
Splitting hairs
Thanks, mom and dad!
Family traits

She has her father’s smile, he has his mom’s eyes. These are all things we tend to hear when comparing children to their parents.

What science says about you

However, there are other traits you might not know who they come from. That’s where science steps in.

A mother's wisdom

First, there’s intelligence. They tend to say that women are wiser and, while that might be or not true, what is fact is that you inherit your smarts from your maternal genes. Or at least that’s what an article from Reader’s Digest states.

You lose some...

That’s not all you get from your mother! According to a study published in Nature Communications, your ability to lose weight and maintain a healthy metabolism comes from her.

Image: I yunmai / Unsplash

...You gain some

However, the same study reveals that you may blame your dad if you’re putting up some weight. Though of course, it all depends on other factors such as how you feed yourself and your lifestyle.

Growing pains

The genetics of both parents have a role in puberty, nonetheless, a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine hints that you have to thank your father if you hit puberty earlier than the rest of your school class.

Keeping your family in mind

Family history is important to know if you’ll have dementia later in life, particularly your mother’s family.

Alzheimer's risks

According to a study published in Biological Psychiatry, the genetic risks associated with Alzheimer’s Disease primarily comes from your mother.

Fertility from your father

Believe it or not, a woman’s fertility could be affected by a gene inherited by her father.

Genetic dysfunction

In a study, published in Science, a genetic dysfunction passed by the father could affect a woman’s egg cell, rendering her infertile.

Focus, fo... oh, shiny!

Do you have problems focusing? Your mother might be at fault.

Serotonin is the key

If your mother had lower levels of serotonin, then you’re more likely to develop attention-deficit disorders, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Not exactly a 50/50 chance

Of course, your sex is defined by your genes, but your father’s family might play a role in it.

Siblings

A study published in Evolutionary Biology shows that if a man has more brothers or more sisters might influence the children he might have.

Splitting hairs

Then, there’s the big one for many men: baldness. Common wisdom says that losing some leaves from your treetop is something that comes from your mother’s family.

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash

Thanks, mom and dad!

However, research done for a study published by PLoS Genetics proved this to be a myth and that your receding hairline might be a result of both parents.

Image: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov / Unsplash

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