Happy Fathers Day: From biological sex, height to paternal obesity & cancers, here are things that your d – Economic Times

We are all mirrors of our parents. We inherit their DNA, behaviour patterns, world view, dreams and even fears. However, over the years, several studies have corroborated that biologically speaking, fathers genes are more dominant and influential in a child, compared to the mother.

According to health experts, your fathers genetic endowment determines some of the most fundamental aspects of your being. On this Fathers day, find out more about your fathers contribution to who you are.

Dr Parag Tamhankar, Senior Consultant Medical Geneticist from MedGenome Labs says that the main thing thats inherited from the father is the Y chromosome which gives a child the maleness traits.

Apart from maleness, several other factors of a fathers genes determine how we shape up. Dr Gouri Pandit, Senior Genetic Counsellor, Indus Health Plus says that several physical traits of ours are inherited from the father.

Fathers are responsible for the gender of the babies, and its one of the physical traits that are 100% contributed by males as fathers transmit the Y chromosome defining the male gender. At least 700 genetic variations are responsible for determining height, coming from both mother and fathers genes. But there is evidence to suggest that each parents height gene functions differently to some extent. Dads genes play a significant role in promoting growth, adds Pandit.

Dr Anup Rawool, Consultant - Genetic Medicine,

Interestingly paternal obesity, malnutrition and consumption of a high-fat diet has been speculated to increased breast cancer development in offspring (daughters in particular) and same has been demonstrated in a mouse model study of paternal obesity. When considering genetic disease conditions due to the loss (or abnormality) of Y chromosome has been associated with increased risk of infertility secondary to spermatogenic failure, certain cancers, Alzheimer's disease, behavioural conditions like autism and cardiovascular diseases, he explained.

Mouse study using machine learning have shown that genes from each parent impacts their childs behavioural pattern differently, with mothers having more control over some of their sons decisions and fathers over some of their daughters. It is interesting to see further how such data could be applied to study aspects of human behaviour and relationship. Certainly, daughters are usually observed to share a strong bond with father than mother.

New research will keep pouring in and add to the existing domain of knowledge. Physical traits are mostly inherited in polygenic and multifactorial way with underlying genetic component having a significant if not total impact. We are what we inherit - be it from the father or mother. This Fathers Day lets raise a toast to the legacy of Y chromosome since time immemorial.

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Happy Fathers Day: From biological sex, height to paternal obesity & cancers, here are things that your d - Economic Times