Have you ever wondered what are the traits that you inherited from your parents?
I’m sure that you’ve heard the phrase “Nobody’s like you” many times in your life, and that’s right when it comes to personality, the way someone sees life, or different values. Attitudes are also ones that come into play here because everyone has their own unique and special characteristics and experiences, and nobody can have the same things.
And that’s something amazing, because who would love to live in a world with a bunch of people who are all the same? Not me, TBH. However, while it might be tempting to say that we look different, is that true, considering that we have limited options when it comes to hair, skin tone, and eye color?
Well, probably not, and you can blame your folks for that, because these are the traits that you inherited from your parents. Just kidding; don’t blame anyone.
But now let’s talk about all those traits that you inherited from your parents. There are three main ways parents pass down their features, as different experts from the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center say.
The first method consists of the inheritance of a dominant gene, which is responsible for the evolution of a specific characteristic in the carriers of the gene.
Let’s take your eye color, for example, so we can understand this topic better. The dominant trait of blue eyes means that if both your beloved parents have them, there is a huge chance you will too.
The other important way is with the help of a recessive gene. Experts say that the presence of a recessive gene in both parents is essential for the child to inherit the characteristic. (I told you that there are many traits that you inherited from your parents).
I have green eyes, for example, but none of my parents have this color. According to scientific explanations, this means that my parents both have the gene for green eyes, and that’s true because my grandfather used to have green eyes.
And the third way of inheritance experts found was through X-linked traits, which are only present on the X chromosome and are passed on from mother to child. Now that you know a bit more about this topic, it’s time to talk about the things that interest you the most: all the traits that you inherited from your parents!
1. Huntington’s Disease
As much as we would like it not to be like that, Huntington’s disease is on the list of traits that you inherited from your parents. This health concern is a neurological disorder that causes severe dysfunctions in various parts of the brain, and in more alarming cases, it can lead to a nervous system catastrophe.
I have good and bad news at the same time: scientists who studied this health disease concluded that it is passed down from mother to baby, and although there’s no cure for it, there are lifestyle changes a pregnant woman can make to spare her kid from it.
She should stay away from toxic substances, such as dyed fish, microwaved popcorn, and fatty takeaway meals, and she shouldn’t neglect her regular checkups with her healthcare provider.
If you suffer from this, don’t forget to go to a specialist for more information, because it’s not something easy to live with, especially since it can become disastrous at any time during the first two decades of the illness course.
We’re just at the beginning of this article about traits that you inherited from your parents, so keep reading!
2. Fingerprints
We all know that fingerprints are unique for every human being on this planet, but as shocking as it might sound, they’re part of the traits that you inherited from your parents.
During their studies, scientists discovered that a child’s fingerprints are similar to their father’s, so maybe they’re not as special as we might’ve thought before.
You won’t believe what are the other traits that you inherited from your parents!
3. Laziness and procrastination
I don’t know about you, but I would love to blame my parents for these because these are two habits that I completely hate but still have. Procrastination and laziness are traits that you inherited from your parents, but it’s up to you to break the cycle and realize that there are some changes to be made.
Mel Robbins once said during a TED conference that people aren’t exactly procrastinators, but they have a habit of procrastinating, and there’s a big difference between these two.
When you have to face a task that is difficult or that makes you feel anxious and maybe even has some unwanted repercussions, the first thing that you might be tempted to do is put it off as long as you can. But avoidance doesn’t equal disappearance.
So, what kind of role does inheritance play here? According to a study published in Psychological Science in 2014, roughly half of the impulse to put things off is part of the traits that you inherited from your parents.
This subject was very interesting to scientists, so in 2018, a new study was published in the same journal. This time, researchers said that a bigger amygdala, which is thought to be the processing center of an individual’s brain, is linked to increased procrastination.
So whether you’re a natural procrastinator or you believe that’s due to your genetics, you’re the one who has to accept it and then deal with it because, the majority of the time, it only makes you more stressed and anxious.
Traits that you inherited from your parents—can you believe that procrastination is one of them?
4. Lips
There are many traits that you inherit from your parents, and lips are one of them. The genes of the father play an important role in determining the shape of the child’s lips.
If both parents have thin lips, for instance, the baby is more likely to be born with this feature too, whether they like it or not. And yes, the same thing happens with full lips, so yeah, babies should count on their moms and dads for their gorgeous lips.
5. Teeth
Fathers don’t go anywhere just yet because they have a lot of influence on how the kid is going to look in the future. This time, another one of the things that you inherited from your parents is actually your teeth.
Some studies believe that the spacing between your teeth is determined by a single gene. For example, if the father was blessed with a cleft palate, there’s a big chance that the baby will be born with that trait too.
6. Height
This is good and bad news at the same time, especially if height is important to someone. As you can tell by now, there are many traits that you have inherited from your parents, and height is no exception.
If the father is a tall guy, there’s a big probability that the kid will inherit this feature. In this case, the opposite is true too, because if the mother is short, the baby is more likely to be short too when they grow up.
There are many other traits that you inherited from your parents, so keep reading!
7. Pain resistance
We’re almost done with this list of traits that you inherited from your parents, so keep reading because I have some interesting information for you to know.
When it comes to pain tolerance, we all have different levels of tolerance because pain thresholds are distinct from one individual to another. For instance, someone might scream in agony the moment the dentist brings up their utensils, while others might not even notice them.
According to a study presented at the American Association of Neurology’s annual meeting in 2014, the difference in how much pain people can tolerate is mainly due to their genes.
If you have a person in your family who can handle a lot of pain, you might be like that too. This goes the opposite way too, so if there’s someone who’s very sensitive and feels pain easily, you might inherit the same level of pain tolerance.
The results of this study were possible with the help of four genes that are known to influence pain perception. This study represents great news and hope for people who struggle with chronic pain, and it might help researchers gain better insight into understanding the cause of this major problem. Let’s hope that they’ll know more in a short time.
What do you think about these traits that you inherited from your parents? Did you find this article interesting? Leave a comment below and let us know! Speaking of traits that you inherited from your parents, if you want to know more about this topic, here’s a book full of insights that you don’t want to miss!
If you’d like part II of this article about traits that you inherited from your parents, tell us in the comments! Until next time, here’s another article for you: 7 Recent Cancer Breakthroughs That Changed Medicine for Good
