• Question: why do your genes create what you look like?

    Asked by TheChosenOne'sSidekick to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Sarah Harris

      Sarah Harris answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Genes are a sequence of DNA and code for proteins, which do a lot of work in cells and have a major role in the body’s organs and tissues (like skin, for example). Everybody has genes coding for the same things, but have different versions (alleles) – so everybody has genes for eye colour, but one persons might code for blue eyes and another person will have the genes for brown.

      However some of what you look like is also influenced by the environment. So your might inherit genes for being tall but if you have a poor diet as a child you won’t grow as much and be shorter.

    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Yep…can’t add anything to that apart from to point out that DNA is present in all animal species and it makes them all different too.

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