What genes do I get from my mother and what genes do I get from my father?

Question

Family history has been drawing my interest lately. I am a male so from which parents' genes that affect my weight, height, hair, etc metabolism etc. do i get. My barber cuts both my dads' and my hair and he said my hair came from my mothers' side (her father). So what genes am i gaurenteed to get from my father and viceversa. Also as far as medical history, could my mothers' side of families medical history affect me as a male or just my dads side? Someone please clarify this for me. Thanks

Answer 1

you have some things mixed up honey--  genealogy is not the study of genes... that is biology,  we research DEAD people.

btw- half your genes come from mommy and the other half from daddy.

Answer 2

You have 46 chromosomes in every cell (nucleated, non-reproductive) in your body. Half of those genes came from each parent. In fact, in each chromosome, half of the material came from each parent.

Some genes, such as hair color, show clear dominances. E.g. a black hair gene and a blond hair gene combine to give you black hair. Other genes are much trickier. A very few traits will come from just the father (on the Y chromosome, which is only inherited from the father), a few (such as the mitochondria) only from the mother. So most of what you are is a combination from both parents.

Answer 3

You are really asking a genetics question not a genealogy question.

However, the above posters gave you some fairly good information.  There are people using DNA in genealogy.  

The Y DNA is passed from father to son onlly and remains unchanged.

Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to both sons and daughters, but only the daughters pass it on to their children.

However, most of your DNA is autosomal.  You get it 50-50 from both parents.  It determines your hair, your pigmentation, your height,  etc.  

Actually, if you get back to your 6xgreat grandparents you are directly descended from 510 individuals.  Of those 510 individuals you get your Y DNA from only 8 and your Mitochondrial DNA from only 8 but you get your autosomal DNA from all 510.

You might have received the genes for your hair from your mother as your barber stated, but if you have a brother, he might have received the genes for his hair from your father.  You cannot say that one specific parent will give all the children the genes for their hair, pigmentation etc.  

I have blue eyes like my father did.  My younger sister has brown eyes like my mother.  I have a skin cancer type complexion like my father. My two sisters tan very well.

I have a bone structure problem in my left foot like my maternal grandfather.  My older sister's granddaughter also had it until surgery, although my sister didn't have it or her son.

Answer 4

I am not well versed in genetics, but I know, from living a long life, that genes go where they want. Both of my parents had black, straight hair. One of my brothers had red, curly hair. Of course, one of our great-grandfathers had red curly hair.

Once the 2 cells meet that form the gamete that became you, the genes work to decide who will win; there is no way to figure out what comes from which parent, other than to state that your yDNA comes from your father; your mtDNA comes from your mother. Women canNOT pass down yDNA; men cannot pass down mtDNA.

See such sites as www.familytreedna.com