Summary: Chapter 21 Like Father Like Daughter

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Aaa Chhee!!
3. Who is Whose Aunt?
4. How We Are All Related!
5. Is this a mirror
6. This from the family
7. But not this from Parent
8. Experiments with Peas - Rough or Smooth?
9. Conclusion
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Introduction

• Children often resemble their parents in looks and behaviour; traits can be passed from parents to children.

Aaa Chhee!!

• Ashima sneezes loudly and her mother says she sneezes like her father - a simple example of family resemblance in actions.

Who is Whose Aunt?

• Nilima mistakes her cousin for an aunt; family relations can seem confusing while physical features (for example, thick curly hair) show links across generations.

How We Are All Related!

• Relatives may share visible traits (hair type, colour) across generations, so distant relatives can resemble each other in many ways.

Is this a mirror

• Twin girls Saroja and Suvasini look alike but differ because of different upbringings: one learned songs and languages in Pune, the other learnt karate in Chennai.
• The environment and family activities influence what children learn (languages, music, hobbies), not only heredity.

This from the family

• Some skills and habits appear in families because children get the chance and environment to learn them from relatives.

But not this from Parent

• Satti had polio in one leg since infancy; she worries her children may also get polio and she consulted a doctor about it.

Experiments with Peas - Rough or Smooth?

• Gregor Mendel (born 1822) did long experiments on pea plants in a monastery garden and recorded many observations.
• He found that some plant traits come in pairs and are distinct, for example seed texture is either rough or smooth, seed colour is either yellow or green, and plant height is either tall or short.
• The next generation of a plant with rough or smooth seeds will also have rough or smooth seeds; Mendel observed more yellow and more smooth seeds in the following generation.

Conclusion

• Children often resemble parents; some traits are inherited at birth while other habits are acquired from the surroundings.
• We may recognise people from features such as voice or loud laughter.