We mostly use dad's genes, study finds

March 3, 2015

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Brett Smith for redOrbit.com @ParkstBrett

Some of us might look like mom, but we all mostly take after dad at least genetically speaking.

A new study by a large team of American researchers has found that although we inherit our genetic makeup equally from both parents we use more DNA from our father than we do from our mother.

Published in the journalNature Genetics,the study focused on genetic mutations that make us who we are and included all mammals in its scope.

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This is an exceptional new research finding that opens the door to an entirely new area of exploration in human genetics, said study author Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, a professor of genetics at the University of North Carolina.

Imprinted genes

The studys findings could be applied to the study of genetic factors related to disease as researchers often dont consider if certain genetic expression comes from mothers or fathers. One of the studys results showed that inheriting a mutation has different consequences, depending on which parent it came from.

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We mostly use dad's genes, study finds