Which Parent Gives You Most Genes?

Written By: Indus Health Plus Doctors Team

Medically Reviewed | Based on Clinical Guidelines

Last Updated : 28 Apr 2026

"She is mom's clone." "He is exactly like his father." We hear many such comments about the traits that the child has inherited.  

The reason why we feel deeply connected to our family could also be due to the resemblance and similar physical traits with our family members. We receive inherited genes from our parents.  

Well, parenting is just not the only way mother and father influence the behavior of their offspring. Genes play a key role here. It is true that most of our genes are inherited in pairs, which means you get one copy of each gene from your father and mother, but mothers and fathers exhibit their genetic impact in diverse ways. Our genetics are determined at the time of conception. The nucleus contains genetic info in a combination of 23 pairs of chromosomes that are made from DNA. You inherit one pair from each of your parents. Only one pair, chromosome 23 determines the gender. 

Genetically, a person actually carries more of his/her mother's genes than his/her father's. The reason is little organelles that live within cells, the?mitochondria, which are only received from a mother. Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and is inherited from the mother. These are energy-producing factories of the cell, and without them, a cell can't generate energy from food. On the contrary, the father's genes are more aggressive and gain prominence in manifesting in you. It is also a known fact that the sex of the baby completely depends on the father as the mother only carries an X-chromosome. 

Do You Inherit Equal DNA from Both Parents?

Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (46 total). During conception:

- 23 chromosomes come from the mother  
- 23 chromosomes come from the father  

This means that nearly 50% of your DNA is inherited from each parent.

Why You May Inherit Slightly More DNA from Your Mother

Although DNA is mostly inherited equally, there are some exceptions:

- Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother  
- The X chromosome is larger than the Y chromosome  

Because of this, in some cases (especially in males), a person may inherit slightly more genetic material from the mother.

What's more, influenced by your mother's genes? 

• Mitochondria
• Intelligence
• Weight
• Hemophilia

What's more, influenced by your father's genes? 

• Gender
• Height
• Dental Health
• Heart diseases

Why Do You Resemble One Parent More?

Even though DNA is inherited equally, certain genes are dominant while others are recessive. This means some traits may be more visible than others.

This is why a person may appear to resemble one parent more, despite having equal genetic contribution from both.

Traits or characteristics, like height, hair colour, eye colour, and blood type, are passed from parents to their children through their genes. However, some health conditions and diseases can also be passed on genetically too. Thanks to advanced research and technological development, we can now perform DNA genetic testing and analysis. As DNA is passed from parent to child and is responsible for traits that are inherited, genetics,?the study of heredity, and the traits and properties that are encoded by a person's DNA prove important. Genetic testing spells benefits in terms of important insights about the traits and health conditions you are predisposed to develop in your life. Thus choosing lifestyle, treatments, and assessing responses to treatments can become easier. Genetic testing can provide a diagnosis for a genetic condition, and thus, precautionary measures, the line of treatment, etc., can be discussed with health experts.  

There are many reasons people want to go for a genetic test. Healthcare experts also suggest a genetic test if a patient or family has certain patterns of disease.  

Get useful insights about healthy lifestyle choices, inputs about probable health risks, etc., through genetic testing. Book a genetic test now!

What We Observ

In genetic analysis, individuals often assume they inherit more traits from one parent based on appearance. However, DNA testing consistently shows a nearly equal contribution from both parents, with variations influenced by gene expression and dominance.