Your genes are responsible for a whole lot of things about you! Genes determine things like your eye color and your hair color. I guess is isn’t so surprising to learn that your genes determine if you like, or hate, certain foods. When it comes to cilantro, the gene that determines if you like it (or hate it) is connected to your sense of smell. Your biological mother, and biological father, each contributed to your genetic makeup. Genes get passed down from one generation to the next. This explains why you look like some of your ancestors, and why you … Continue reading →

The human body is a very interesting thing, as are the genes within it. Some of our physical traits are uniquely our own, and others we have inherited from our parents or other ancestors. It can be confusing to know which things are commonly inherited and which are not. For example, the shape of your hairline is determined by genetics. Some of us have a hairline that goes straight across our forehead, while others have what is called a widow’s peak hairline. The Widow’s peak hairline comes to a point in the center of the forehead. I just looked at … Continue reading →

Do you like pork? Do your family members enjoy dinners that include pork? Or, do you have a family member who cannot stand the taste, or the smell, of pork? A new study reveals that the reason has to do with genetics. Certain genes make a person able to smell the meat more intensely than others can. Pork has been described in advertisements as “the other white meat”. Many Americans eat pork sausage, pork chops, and pork ribs. We eat pork in tacos, and in rice, and we eat plenty of bacon that is made from pork. Of course, some … Continue reading →

Some conditions that are passed down through a family’s genes are not exactly the kinds of things that anyone likes to talk about. Things like mental illness and alcoholism are very important to understand, yet discussion of them among family members may not be very frequent if they are discussed at all. This can make it difficult to know your family history of these conditions. If you know that someone in your family is an alcoholic or you suspect that there may be an alcoholic in your family, take heart. Although there are genes that are linked to alcoholism that … Continue reading →

If you have ever experienced an intense and unstoppable craving for a food, then you have experienced the workings of the genetics of addiction. The three most commonly craved types of foods are sweet foods, salty foods, and fatty foods. Research has shown that people who have very strong food cravings and have trouble sticking with a diet often exhibit many of the same symptoms of people that suffer from addiction to drugs or alcohol. Some of the diagnostic criteria for substance addiction include persistent desire, repeated unsuccessful attempts to “quit”, continued use despite knowledge of adverse effects, and withdrawal … Continue reading →

Some health problems that are connected to heredity follow fairly straightforward patterns of heritability. Other health conditions, while still connected to heredity; do not follow a predictable pattern. This can make things difficult for people who are charting their family medical history because when you find out that one or more relatives have a certain condition, you will not likely know right away whether it is a condition that follows a pattern or one that does not until you have a chance to ask a doctor or do a little research. Diabetes is one health condition that does not follow … Continue reading →