Can different genetics be passed down to kids at birth than the ones the parents had?

[Magnanimous]

Asking this question because I've heard that epigenetic changes can be inherited by your kids. Also, Leo said that he had special genes in that he was extremely intuitive, but he never mentioned where he got it from. So it could've been some kind of change, and not some gene passed down from his parents.

So yea, can a child be born with different genetics than their parent?

[LastThursday]

A child is always a blend of their parents' genetics. It's not always a 50-50 split of mum and dad, but on average it is. But genes are either recessive or dominant, so genes from one parent may override genes from the other. It's possible parents carry genes that they don't express (are not used), but do get expressed in the child (are used), because of the way combining genes works.

You can also have genetic mutation. So it's possible you have a modified version of a gene that neither of your parents has. Generally mutations either have no effect or cause problems, rarely they can be beneficial. So yes, you can have different genetics from your parents, but the effects are normally subtle.

Epigenetic changes happen constantly throughout your life, and they regulate which genes are on and off. There's some evidence that epigenetic changes can be passed through to egg and sperm. Epigenetic changes happen in response to your environment such as food intake, exercise and stress levels.

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by LastThursday