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What baby inherits from father?

All men inherit a Y chromosome from their father, which means all traits that are only found on the Y chromosome come from dad, not mom. The Supporting Evidence: Y-linked traits follow a clear paternal lineage.

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Published on November 2nd, 2020 and Updated on November 19th, 2022

Check out SneakPeek Traits Test to find out what your baby will look like as an adult! Speculating about how your baby might turn out can be fun to consider. It’s hard to resist making guesses and predictions about which traits she’ll inherit from you and your partner, and it seems even harder for friends and family not to put in their two cents. A SneakPeek DNA test can help you learn more about your baby’s genetic expression, and get you even more excited about their arrival. Maybe your mother-in-law is convinced your daughter is destined for the signature family nose. Meanwhile, your best friends keep telling you that your baby boy is going to inherit your killer smile. Maybe your dad is convinced all future children will inherit his love of sports.

So what’s the truth, and what’s an old wives’ (or husbands’) tale when it comes to traits inherited from the dad?

About Genetic Inheritance

You may be wondering, “what gene controls hair color?” or “what eye color will my baby have?” Most genetic traits result from a combination of both parents’ genetic codes. But when it comes to tracing certain traits to certain parents, we direct our focus to the genes contained in the sex chromosomes. Through cell division and fertilization, humans acquire 46 chromosomes containing their unique DNA; 23 from mom, and 23 from dad. Sex-linked genes are expressed according to the genetic material on sex chromosomes, the 23rd pair, which differ between sexes. Where females have two X chromosomes, males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, with certain genetic traits found exclusively on either one. Even still, some chromosomal genes are dominant or recessive, meaning that whether or not a characteristic is expressed depends on the alleles of mom and dad (respectively). If, for example, dad has an X-linked dominant gene, while mom has an X-linked recessive gene, the daughter’s outward gene expression will reflect dad’s genotype.

What genes are inherited from the father?

#1 Baby’s Biological Sex

Dads are responsible for the biological sex of their baby. It’s one of the physical traits that’s 100% determined by paternal genes and/or dads. The Supporting Evidence: While mothers will always pass down their X chromosome (considering it’s the only kind they have), fathers will pass down either an X or Y chromosome at random. The gendered difference is entirely dependent on this one minuscule genetic distinction: The Y chromosome contains the SRY (male-determining) gene, which kickstarts the “virilization” (masculinization) process, including the fetal development of the testes—this means you have a baby boy on the way! The X chromosome doesn’t contain this male-producing gene. Which means you’re having a baby girl!

#2 Height

At least 700 genetic variations are responsible for determining height, coming from both mom and dad’s genes. But there is evidence to suggest that each parent’s “height gene” functions a bit differently. Dad’s genes play a significant role in promoting growth. The Supporting Evidence: The insulin-like growth factor (IGF protein) is strongly expressed by paternal genes. This genetic trait is also responsible for promoting growth. However, mom’s genes express a somewhat contradictory receptor called IGF2R, which essentially does the opposite by actively repressing dad’s height-inducing genes. These are both examples of genomically imprinted genes. An imprinted gene is “stamped” or turned off, leaving the other gene to be expressed. In this case, it doesn’t matter if Mom’s an Amazon when it comes to height or if Dad’s height is better suited for soccer rather than basketball – Dad’s IGF genes encourage the child to grow tall, while Mom’s IGF2R genes are stamped and rendered inactive. In essence, they cancel each other out. Studies on mice illustrate this delicate balance between each parent’s genes and offspring development: Without expressing mom’s growth-suppressing IGF2R, the mice suffered from severe overgrowth. Without dad’s growth-promoting IGF protein , the mice experienced impeded growth and were smaller than average. From an evolutionary standpoint., these genetic differences between mom and dad are called “parent-of-origin effects,” which have an impact on growth and nutrition:

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Paternal influence – Dad (more accurately, dad’s evolutionary adaptation) wants his son to grow big and strong in the womb. His genes use imprinting to give off signals during fetal development: “take nutrients from mom so you can be fit enough to survive life outside the womb.” Consuming more nutrients leads to increased growth . – . Maternal influence – Having a baby can certainly be an excessive nutritional demand on Mom-especially in the early ages of human evolution. To counteract this somewhat parasitic relationship, mom’s genes use imprinting to avoid the fetus needing so much sustenance, which can, in turn, suppress growth . The Big Picture: Beyond the give-and-take of these two specific genetic expressions, there are loads more variants affecting height from both mom and dad. Dad’s genes strongly influence your child’s size in a certain sense, but whether your children grow up to be 6’5″ basketball stars or 5’10” point guards are up to certain genetic conditions from both parents.

#3 Y-Linked Inheritance (for Sons)

All men inherit a Y chromosome from their father, which means all traits that are only found on the Y chromosome come from dad, not mom. The Supporting Evidence: Y-linked traits follow a clear paternal lineage. A mutation on the Y chromosome can only be passed from father to son, and they’re all considered “dominant” in that there’s no second Y chromosome from mom to alter or mitigate the effects. In addition to the male traits of sperm development, hormone levels, and other distinctly male physical characteristics, there are other non-gendered Y-linked traits:

Hypertrichosis – Excessive hair growth on the outer ear

– Excessive hair growth on the outer ear Syndactyly – “Webbed toes,” where the skin between one or more toes is fused – “Webbed toes,” where the skin between one or more toes is fused Chromosome infertility – Can affect the male’s sperm production

#4 X-Linked Inheritance (for Daughters)

As we’ve learned, fathers contribute one Y or one X chromosome to their offspring. Girls get two X chromosomes, one from Mom and one from Dad. This means that your daughter will inherit X-linked genes from her father as well as her mother.

When your daughter inevitably ends up with his X chromosome, does that mean she’ll inherit all of his X-linked genes and traits?

Genes, yes. Traits, not necessarily.

The Supporting Evidence: When it comes to a trait passed from father to daughter, dad has a 100% chance of passing down any mutations or variations on his X chromosome. However, this doesn’t automatically mean that all of these characteristics will present physically. While dad is passing down everything on his X chromosome, mom is also giving their daughter a second copy. Only one copy of the allele (variation or mutation in a specific gene) is required for your daughter to develop the characteristic. If dad has the X-linked dominant gene, his daughter will undoubtedly present the trait because she inherits his X chromosome (where the gene responsible for the trait exists).

Some examples of genetic disorders associated with X linked dominant inheritance include:

Fragile X syndrome

Oral-facial-digital syndrome type I

Incontinentia pigmenti type 1.

As for X-linked recessive: conditions, both parents’ chromosomal genes must contain two copies of the recessive trait in order to present physically. Dad’s genes are only half of the equation in this case.

#5 Fat Storage

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There are a number of factors that go into the size and shape of our body, and genetics certainly has a lot to do with it. Dad’s adipose tissue, however, seems to have a bigger role in passing on excess fat compared to mom’s. The Supporting Evidence: Some body fat is necessary for general health and survival. But, too much can lead to a number of health issues and complications. In the body, there are two types of fat cells that can be considered “good” or “bad.” Brown fat is responsible for burning calories and maintaining a safe body temperature. White fat, on the other hand, stores excess energy (calories) as fat. Researchers have identified that brown fat is maternally inherited, while white fat is paternally inherited. This means that dad’s genes are more likely to contribute to the development of excess fat.

Some health implications of obesity and excess fat include:

Heart Disease Diabetes High Blood Pressure Metabolic Syndrome

The Big Picture: Just because dad has a few extra pounds doesn’t mean your baby is destined for a similar fate. An active lifestyle and a healthy diet play a significant role for long-term health and wellness, regardless of parental genetics.

Put the Rumors to Rest with SneakPeek Traits

While you might wind up making a few lucky guesses of your baby’s physical traits, the only real way to determine how everything shakes out is with genetic testing. SneakPeek Traits is a quick, easy-to-use DNA test to help you in answering the questions like “when do babies get freckles?” or “How will my baby look?”. You can even check the nutrition of your child using a DNA nutrition test. After collecting the sample from the comfort of your own home and, sending it off to SneakPeek Labs in the included prepaid envelope, you’ll receive tons of exciting information about your baby’s traits, including:

Hair color and texture

Eye color

Sleep patterns

Nutritional profile

You might even find out whether they become captain of the varsity basketball team! Oh, wait… Sorry, that’s one for the have-to-wait-and-see list. Some things about your child’s future are meant to remain a mystery—but for everything else, there’s SneakPeek Traits.

This post has been reviewed for accuracy by the following medical professional:

Katie Phillips, MSN, CNM, APRN Nurse midwife and mom to 5 kiddos ranging in age from 7-20 and a chocolate lab. I own my own birthing center, which is the first and only one in Bay County, Florida. I love the beach, swimming, horseback riding, and reading.

HealthyWay. 7 Traits Children Get From Their Fathers. https://www.healthyway.com/content/traits-kids-get-from-their-fathers/

https://www.healthyway.com/content/traits-kids-get-from-their-fathers/ Inverse. You’re Genetically More Like Your Dad Than Your Mom. https://www.inverse.com/science/32991-dad-mom-genes-dominance-inheritance

https://www.inverse.com/science/32991-dad-mom-genes-dominance-inheritance Karger. Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 in Development and Disease: A Mini-Review. https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/343995 https://www.karger.com/Article/Fulltext/343995 MedlinePlus. What are the different ways in which a genetic condition can be inherited? https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/inheritance/inheritancepatterns/

https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/inheritance/inheritancepatterns/ John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics. X-Linked Dominant Inheritance. http://hihg.med.miami.edu/code/http/modules/education/Design/CoursePageContent.asp?ID=49

http://hihg.med.miami.edu/code/http/modules/education/Design/CoursePageContent.asp?ID=49 The New England Journal of Medicine. Paternally Inherited IGF2 Mutation and Growth Restriction . https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1415227

. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1415227 Nature Communications. Epigenetic and genetic components of height regulation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116096/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116096/ Biology Online. Y-linked inheritance. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/y-linked-inheritance

https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/y-linked-inheritance NPR. Which Genes Make You Taller? A Whole Bunch Of Them, It Turns Out. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/01/512859830/which-genes-make-you-taller-a-whole-lot-it-turns-out https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/01/512859830/which-genes-make-you-taller-a-whole-lot-it-turns-out Science Daily. Obesity: We inherit the dangerous fat from Dad — and the good fat from Mom. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906100438.htm SneakPeek aims to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information to help our readers make informed decisions regarding their health before, during, and after pregnancy. This article was written based upon trusted scientific research studies and/or articles. Credible information sources for this article are cited and hyperlinked.

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