Genes are responsible for making you the beautiful, unique little snowflake you are. In a recent article, Peter Orszag suggested that genes play a large role in athletic prowess, even more than so many hours of practice. It’s hard to really say if that holds true, but there are definitely certain things that genes do determine.
1. Blood type
Your blood is one of the most important components of your body, supplying all your limbs and organs with fresh oxygen. Your blood is often defined by its agglutinogen, proteins that bind to the outer surface of red blood cells. You know these better as A, B, AB, and O.
Agglutinogen type is determined by the genes you inherit from your parents. If you get an A-type allele from your dad and a B-type allele from your mom, you come out having an AB blood type. Positive and negative blood types refer to the absence or presence of a protein called Rh.
In Japanese culture, blood type is said to determine certain inherent personality traits, though the accuracy of that is a bit spotty. Unless you’re of Japanese descent, blood types generally only matter when it comes to transfusions. Your body needs a matching blood type or else it will reject the transfused blood.
2. Lifespan
So your lifespan is certainly affected by the environment. Smoking two packs a day or getting in a severe car crash can be fatal regardless of what your genes say. However, recent studies show that certain genes regulate aging, immunities, and various other factors related to your longevity. For instance, a study in 2009 found that a specific gene activated in men accounted for their stronger, larger bodies while sacrificing their lifespan, which is why women tend to live longer than men on average.
3. Phobias
It’s not uncommon for people to develop intense phobias after a particularly traumatic experience, but your fear of spiders, clowns, heights, or mustard may actually be based in genetics. Studies found that phobias are linked by genes. Identical twins, who have identical genes, are more likely to develop phobias for the same objects than their non-identical counterparts. The same genetic mutations that explain phobias have also been linked to anxiety and panic attacks.
4. Love (sort of)
No one can really explain love. It’s as nebulous as the stars, as profound as any life-changing religious experience, but there may be some slight connection to genetics. In a study, researchers found that female fruit flies are designed to sense male fruit flies that are genetically compatible with them. In other words, female fruit flies actually experience love at first sight.
Granted, it’s hard to extrapolate that data to us because flies tend to be pretty different from the average human, but it does posit the potential idea that human females can also detect human males that can best match them genetically.
It’s amazing to think that, as tiny as they are, genes can determine so much about a person, but that doesn’t mean they determine everything. Live your life, regardless of what your genes say!
