Inheritance & Traits

Have you ever been told you have your mother's eyes or your father's smile? That is because some of who you are was passed down to you from your parents. The features you receive at birth are called inherited traits. Other things you do — like reading, riding a bike, or speaking a language — are learned over time.

Inherited Traits

Inherited traits are features that pass from parents to children through tiny instructions called genes. Genes live inside DNA, a long molecule packed inside almost every cell of your body. Half of your DNA comes from your mother and half from your father. That mix is why you might have grandma's curly hair or grandpa's blue eyes.

• Eye color, hair color, and skin tone
• Height, body shape, and the shape of your nose or ears
• Dimples, freckles, or attached vs. detached earlobes
• Blood type and natural hair color

Learned Behaviors

Learned behaviors are things you pick up from the people and the world around you. They are not in your DNA — you learn them through practice, teaching, or experience. A child raised in France speaks French, while one raised in Japan speaks Japanese, even though both children are born with the same ability to learn a language.

• Speaking a language, reading, and writing
• Riding a bicycle, swimming, or tying shoelaces
• Playing piano or drawing a picture
• Doing math and using a computer

Animals Inherit Traits Too

Inheritance is not just for people. Puppies inherit fur color and ear shape from their parents. A duckling can swim moments after hatching — that is an instinct, an inherited behavior. But a parrot that learns to say "hello" has learned that — it was not born knowing the word.