Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Comparing Children’s and Parents’ Heights

Everyone always assumes that children have to be exactly like their parents because of genetics, right? Well this is true to an extent. This is discussed in "Comparing Children’s and Parents’ Heights". Characteristics such as hair color, eye color, and skin color all do come from parental genes, but if children do not come out exactly like their parents that doesn't mean that the children do not have their parents genes. Same goes for the height of a child. About 60 to 80 percent of someone's final height is determined by genetics. Although, genetics plays a large part in a child's height, there are many other factors that go into it also. Height can "vary from child to child and family to family", environmental factors go into it as well along with nutrition. For example, when parents tell you to eat more vegetables because you will grow, that it true! There is a way doctors have estimated the height of a child since the 1970's. To estimate the height of a male you combine the height of both parents add five inches and then divide by two. To estimate the height of a female you combine the height of both parents, subtract five inches then divide by two. This method does not mean your child will most defiantly come out that height but in most cases it is pretty similar. It is also common for siblings to come out different heights even though they came from the same parents and are they same sex. For example, in my family my mom is short, about 5"2,  and my dad is 6"0, both me and my sister are 5"8 and youngest brother is 6"1 so this goes to show that kids do not have to be the same height as their parents. There are also many characteristics that all of us share with our parents like hair color, eye color, and facial features. So yes heredity has a lot to do with characteristics but not 100%.

   

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