Question
Little Johnny's father is incredibly organized, but his mother tends to be messy. When Little Johnny's
aunt notices that all of his binders are labeled and his room is spotless, she claims "you obviously
didn't inherit your mother's 'messy' genes! What is wrong with this statement?
Characteristics, such as organizational skills, are behavioral and environmentally influenced.
Therefore, they are not specifically inherited.
Nothing is wrong with this statement. Our behaviors, just as much as our physical
characteristics, are inherited from our parents.
• This statement is incorrect because the son may actually have some of his mother's "messy
genes, too. The gene for organization is recessive.
The organizational-skill gene is an X-linked gene; therefore, since Johnny is a boy, he only
took after his mother.
The organizational-skill gene is Y-linked; therefore, that is why he is organized, like his
father.
Answer
Characteristics such as organizational skills are behavioral and environmentally influenced, therefore they are not specifically inherited.