Genetics

[Wolfmesser Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wolfmesser]

Lately Ive been reading alot on Genetics and Inheritence, and the subject to me is really intriguing. Ive been reading on the subject of dominant and recessive genes, and I am still learning more on the subject. My question is this, iwth the vast genetic makeup that an individual has, is it possible to inherit a specific characteristic from a grandparent or great grandparent, such as big/small hands, eye colour. Like, if both parents have dark hair, and 1 out of the 4 grandparents have blonde hair, is it possible to inherit the blonde hair from that granparent?

[Batwoman Moderator ReservePEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Batwoman]

You definitely can inherit something from a grandparent -- 1/4 of your genes come from each grandparent. Sometimes unusual traits (like blond hair in the example you give) are recessive traits that pop out again in later generations when other genes that control their expression are recombined. So yes, you can inherit blond hair from a generation far removed from your own. They key thing to remember is that virtually all traits are under multilocus genetic control -- that means that they are not the result of the actions of one gene, but of many genes. Since the genes get remixed with each generation, sometimes rare combinations may result in expression of traits (like blond hair) not seen for a while in a family.

There are, however, a very few traits that are passed on under fairly simple single gene inheritance -- eye color is one. If you have two parents with blue eyes, you will have blue eyes (because blue is the recessive gene, and it only appears in a person who has two copies of the blue gene, one from each parent). A person with brown eyes may have two brown genes, or one blue and one brown (the brown is always dominant, so if you have one of each brown always "wins" in terms of determining your eye color).

It is all quite complicated but very cool!

[Wolfmesser Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wolfmesser]

It is a very interesting topic, one that I enjoy learning much about, like, the other day I was talking with my mom and where I got certain triats and she mentioned a funny thing about my hands. She said that I have thick, strong hands like the men on her side, yet my fingers, while thick, are short, which is something my dad has, he has small hands, but on her side, they tend to have long fingers. Could people also inherit combination traits, like a hybrid characteristic, such as my hands, or did I probably just inherit my hand from a single ancestor? lol

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

I have always been amused by the way red hair can interact with other hair colour. I had light brown har when I was young ,with perhaps a hint of red in the right light. When I grew a beard it was quite red with no brown at all. My brother had dark hair but again red beard.

[Wolfmesser Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wolfmesser]

I have always been amused by the way red hair can interact with other hair colour. I had light brown har when I was young ,with perhaps a hint of red in the right light. When I grew a beard it was quite red with no brown at all. My brother had dark hair but again red beard.

I know exactly how you feel lol. I have light brown hair with reddish hues in there, and when it reflects in the light its like a strawberry blond like tinge, although the brown is still quite prominant, my beard though, is slightly darker though.