• Question: would my DNA be similar to my parents DNA and if so, how similar?

    Asked by georgy porgy to Barbara, Matt, Ravinder, Sophie, Tristan on 17 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Matthew Moore

      Matthew Moore answered on 17 Mar 2015:


      Yes it would be!

      You get 50% of your DNA from each parent. The reason siblings (apart from identical twins which are one embryo that split in two and are clones) are different is because before each parent donates 50% of your DNA it’s shuffled, this is called recombination and happens during mesois. Meiosis is the process by which sperm and egg (ova) cells are produced!

      This means, interesting, that your grandparents don’t donate 25% each of your DNA because it’s shuffled so you’re not getting a balanced amount from each grandparent. This explains why the claims of genetic ancestry companies are rubbish.

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