It is often said that one inherits the qualities and defects of one's parents. If we take a moment to observe the world around us, it is very likely that we actually realized that the similarities between members of the same family are real, one thing, we must agree, at the fascinating and intriguing times.
The expression of Latin origin as father, as son expresses that the qualities of a person derive from those of his father or his ancestors more generally. And if the whole of our personality can not be reduced to mere hereditary similarities, it is however undeniable that the facts that can be observed around us never totally invalidate this theory.
We know that children receive genes from both parents, but did you know that there are things that sons inherit only from their fathers?
Here are 6 scientific proofs which show that the expression such as father, such son is still relevant and the influence that the DNA of the fathers has on that of their sons in particular.
1 - Genetic mutations
In a study published in Nature Genetics in 2015, scientists found that the expression of thousands of genes in mice was not the same depending on whose parent they came from. In fact, 60% of the father's genes turned out to be more expressive than all of the mother's genes.
Although we have equal parts of each of our parents' genes, those who come from our father express themselves more.
As a result, a genetic mutation is much more likely to occur if it comes from a gene from our father than from our mother.
2 - The genre
This is one of the most rudimentary knowledge of genetics: a child's gender depends on the chromosomes transmitted by his father.
Each of us has 23 pairs of chromosomes, each of which is composed of a chromosome that comes from each of our parents. It is the pair of sex chromosomes that determines our gender.
Since women only have two X chromosomes on this pair, they can only transmit one X chromosome to their child. As for men, they have an X chromosome and a Y chromosome.
The one he passes to his child will determine his gender: X for a girl, Y for a boy.
It also means that whatever genes are written on a Y chromosome, they come only from the father. These genes are what is called in medical language the heredity related to the Y.
3 - The risk of heart disease
Our genetic code does not only determine our physical similarities with our parents. It determines the structure of our whole body, its strengths, its weaknesses and therefore our predisposition to suffer from certain diseases more than others.
For example, men with a certain type of Y chromosome, the YI chromosome of the haplo group, are twice as likely to have heart disease. This peculiarity which they can unfortunately transmit to their children is however not transmissible from the father to the girl.
4 - Mental health
If the DNA that women transmit to their children changes little over time. Men see their DNA vary more significantly with age.
Thus, if they have mental disorders such as schizophrenia or ADHD, they are more likely to be passed on to their children.
5 - Dental health
In terms of dental health, paternal genes are more expressed than maternal genes. It can be bad news if the condition of your father's teeth is bad, as good if they are perfectly healthy.
6- Infertility
If infertility does not prevent men from becoming parents, it has been shown through a study published in the Journal of Human Reproduction that the sons of fathers suffering from this health problem and having been conceived by in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, had a lower sperm count than naturally designed children.
