Our mothers are the wonderful people who brought us into this world and grew us in the womb for nine months.
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So it comes as no surprise that we are going to share some similarities. But what if we told you that there are some traits that you can inherit solely from your mother? We know that the genes of both parents affect what traits and characteristics the children get. Our appearance, certain medical conditions we’ll have in the future, and some personal peculiarities are predetermined at conception. And although it can be difficult to predict what physical and psychological features the baby will have, we can distinguish some traits they will likely inherit from each parent. How amazing is that! So if you want to know what traits you have inherited from your mother dearest then this is the article for you! Read on to know them all!
1. Intelligence
Intelligence has been found to doubtlessly be a hereditary feature (1). However, until recent years, people thought that a person’s intelligence depended equally on that of their father and mother’s genes. But this isn’t true. Several recent studies disclosed that kids inherit intelligence from their mothers since intelligence genes are located on X chromosomes (2). As women have two X chromosomes, they have twice the possibility of passing these genes down to their offsprings. However, it is important to keep in mind that genetics is not the only factor influencing a child’s mental capacity. It is necessary to say that mothers can boost the intellectual development of children through emotional and physical contact.
2. Sleeping Patterns 
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If you’ve got a terrible sleep cycle, you may have inherited it from your mother! Have you ever wondered why some kids can fall asleep in an instant and others need long drawn out rituals in order to put them to sleep? Well, If all the parenting hacks on how to make your baby fall asleep fast just don’t seem to work, then it’s safe to say that the mother’s genes are at work. That’s right. A recent study showed a direct correlation between maternal insomnia and several components of childhood sleep (3). Children of mothers with insomnia spend less time sleeping, fall asleep slowly, and wake up later. Interesting isn’t it? So, the next time your mom goes on about you not sleeping early enough, you can inform them that they have a hand to play!
3. Exercise Endurance 
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That’s right, if you’ve been working on your gym body and are testing out your endurance, you’ve got your mom to thank for this too. A recent study shows that the child will likely have the same capacity for exercise as their mother (4). How is this possible? Well., all human beings inherit the mitochondrial genome from their mother, the gene that is infamously known as the powerhouse of the cell. Therefore, you get the “athletic genes,” physical endurance, and stamina from your mother’s side (5).
4. Color Blindness 
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The structure of the eye is extremely complicated, one can even compare it with a camera. The eye retina of all human beings are covered with special cells known as rods and cones. The rods react to light and the function of cones is to identify color. The cones have different pigments inside them. If something is wrong with the pigments, the person won’t see colors the usual way. This condition is popularly known as color blindness or color deficiency (6). And most forms of color blindness are linked directly to the X chromosome. This means that the mother is the carrier of thai condition and the sons are usually affected as they do not have a second X chromosome to balance this condition (7).
5. Hemophilia 
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Hemophilia is a rare condition that comes out from the reduction of clotting factors (8). It affects the clotting process and is inherited only from the X chromosome, making mothers the carriers and affecting the sons as they only inherit one X chromosome. Women who carry hemophilia have one X chromosome with a gene affected by this condition and one X chromosome with a normal gene (9). Because they also have a properly functioning gene they are secure from the symptoms of hemophilia by providing sufficient clotting possibilities. But if their sons inherit the affected X chromosome then they will indefinitely have Hemophilia. However, men with hemophilia can only pass the altered gene to their daughters. Their sons , on the other hand, will not be affected.
It is interesting to note that there are some physical characteristics and behavioral features that we inherit only from our mothers. So, which feature were you most surprised to learn about? Let us know in the comments section!
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Kezia John, BA
Kezia holds a deep interest in writing about women adapting to motherhood and childcare. She writes on several topics that help women navigate the joys and responsibilities of being a new mom and celebrate every stage of their baby’s development. When she is not writing for MomJunction, she sings in a classical Western choir and reads endlessly.View Profile ›LATEST ARTICLES
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Source: momjunction.com
