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Name: Quinn
Status: Student
Age: 15
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2002
Question:
What is the genetics of red-hair people? Why does this trait skip generations?


Replies:
Quinn,

Hair color results from the combination of genes (i.e., the DNA) that you get from both of your parents. There is no rule that says red hair must skip generations. Indeed, it is quite possible that you inherited a gene from your Great Grandma that is partly responsible for your hair color. YOUR hair color depends on the color genes that you inherited from each of your parents, and of course, one of them got some genes from your Great Grandma.

When you get further along in school, you will probably enjoy setting up some matings of fruit flies in science lab, if you get the chance. You can perform lots of fun experiments crossing red-eyed flies with white-eyed flies, etc.

Paul Mahoney, Ph.D.


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