Genetically for Dummies

Genetically is a word that helps us understand how certain traits and characteristics are inherited or passed down from parents to their children. You know, just like how you may have your mom's beautiful eyes or your dad's curly hair! When we say something is "genetically determined" or "genetically inherited," it means that it is based on the instructions or information that is stored in our genes, which are like tiny, complex instructions within our bodies that determine a lot of what makes us who we are.

Think of genes like a recipe book that is passed down through generations in a family. This recipe book contains all the instructions for making different traits and features, and it is passed from parents to children. Just like how a recipe book can determine how a cake turns out, our genes determine things like our eye color, hair color, and even some of our personality traits.

So when we say something is "genetically determined," it means that it is influenced by the information in our genes that we inherit from our parents. It's like having a blueprint that helps create who we are as individuals. This can include physical traits as well as things like our risk for certain diseases or conditions.

In addition to describing how traits are passed down from one generation to the next, "genetically" can also refer to things that are related to genes or involve the study of genes and inheritance. Scientists who study genetics, for example, are interested in understanding how genes work and how they contribute to different traits and conditions.

So, when we use the word "genetically," we are talking about how traits and characteristics are influenced by our genes, which are the special instructions that we inherit from our parents and help shape who we are.