Dominant/Recessive Traits

I remember when my wife got pregnant, everyone asked me if our child would have blue eyes and blonde hair (like me). They seemed to forget about dominant/recessive traits so I always felt the need to explain that unless my wife (melayu) had some unknown mat salleh blood in her gene pool, the answer would be no.

Why? Because blue eyes are recessive. In order for a recessive trait to show up in your child, you need two recessives. Therefore, my in-laws past would have to contain a blue eye recessive trait. This would mean that someone along the line had to marry a mat salleh. If not, then all of our kids will definitely have brown eyes. Because brown eyes are a dominant trait.

This is the same reason it is false to look at your bald father and think that you, one day, will be bald. Because baldness is a recessive trait, your mother must carry the bald gene also (this doesn't mean she has to be bald). It takes two to tango the recessive dance. (sorry bad joke)

Now if my daughter (she carries the recessive blue eyes trait from me) marries a mat salleh (who also carries the recessive blue eye trait), then her kids will have blue eyes.

Confused? Let's go to some links.

For anything that has to do with heredity, you must see the father of heredity Gregor Mendel.

Planning on marrying a mat salleh? Want to know what features your kids will have? Use a punnet square.

Comments

[Jordan]

People ask me about the blue eyes all the time. I always have to dash their hopes. No blue eyes in my wife's family, that's for sure.

[Jamil]

Jordan,
Isn't that funny? Something so standard for us is so exotic to others.

[Pu-Yi]

Hubby's a Mat Salleh. Grandma's pestering for a blue-eyed blonde-haired cicit. Tough time explaining...

[Jamil]

Pu Yi.....tell the future Por Por and Ah Chor that someone on their side should've loosened up and married a gweilo. Then she could have some blue eyed little ones. hahahhahahhaa.

[letti]

that's a realisation i have come to accept..*laugh*..david and my children will never be blue eyed blondes either :)

[Jamil]

letti...it's ok. personally, i like dark hair and eyes better.

btw, nice blog. come back and visit often. we can swap stories. you from US. me from M'sia.