Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Pedigree Analysis

Pedigree Analysis

X-linked Traits

X-linked Traits

In most mammalian species, females have two X sex chromosomes and males have an X and Y. As a result, mutations on the X chromosome in females may be masked by the presence of a normal allele on the second X. In contrast, a mutation on the X chromosome in males more often causes observable biological defects, as there is no normal X to compensate. Trait variations arising from mutations on the X chromosome are called “X-linked”.

Protein Families

Protein Families

Protein families are groups of homologous proteins; that is, they have similarities in amino acid sequences and three-dimensional structures. Protein families usually occur because of gene duplication, where an additional copy of a gene is inserted into the genome of an organism. Mutations that change the amino acids but still allow the protein to be properly synthesized, will lead to new protein family members. If these new proteins contain similar amino acids in key...

Genetic Variation

Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles,...

Polygenic Traits

Polygenic Traits

When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...

Law of Segregation

Law of Segregation

When crossing pea plants, Mendel noticed that one of the parental traits would sometimes disappear in the first generation of offspring, called the F1 generation, and could reappear in the next generation (F2). He concluded that one of the traits must be dominant over the other, thereby causing masking of one trait in the F1 generation. When he crossed the F1 plants, he found that 75% of the offspring in the F2 generation had the dominant phenotype, while 25% had the recessive phenotype.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Characterization and response to exercise training of HDL-specific phospholipid efflux.

Journal of lipid research·2026

Same author

N-Palmitoyl Glutamine Is a Candidate Mediator of Cardiorespiratory Fitness.

Circulation·2025

Same author

Variation in cycling exercise mechanical efficiency in the HERITAGE Family Study.

Physiological reports·2025

Same author

Association of the HDL lipidome with HDL traits before and after exercise training: HERITAGE family study.

Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society·2025

Same author

Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries.

Nature medicine·2025

Same author

Mechanical efficiency: associations with body composition and glycemic profile in healthy adults.

European journal of applied physiology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics

Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics

Published on: December 14, 2011

Familial resemblance in somatotype.

Thomas M K Song¹, Robert M Malina², Claude Bouchard³

¹Human Performance Labortory, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council

|May 27, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Familial resemblance in body shape (somatotype) components suggests genetic influence, particularly for mesomorphy. Environmental factors like diet and activity levels played a smaller role in these inherited traits.

More Related Videos

Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model

Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model

Published on: November 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research

Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research

Published on: June 7, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics

Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics

Published on: December 14, 2011

Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model

Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model

Published on: November 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research

Author Spotlight: Advancements in 3D Optical Imaging for Comprehensive Body Composition Assessment in Modern Research

Published on: June 7, 2024

Area of Science:

Human Genetics
Anthropometry
Behavioral Genetics

Background:

Understanding the familial aggregation of human physical traits is crucial for distinguishing genetic from environmental influences.
Somatotype, a measure of body shape, has been hypothesized to have a genetic component, but empirical evidence from family studies is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate familial similarities in somatotype components (endomorphy, mesomorphy, ectomorphy) within French Canadian nuclear families.
To assess the relative contributions of age, gender, energy intake (EI), and physical activity level (AL) to somatotype variation.
To determine the extent of heritability versus environmental influences on somatotype.

Main Methods:

Analysis of Health-Carter somatotype components in 938 individuals from 243 nuclear families.
Calculation of familial correlations (parent-child, sibling, spouse) adjusting for age, gender, and other somatotype components.
Regression analysis incorporating EI and AL, estimated from 3-day records.

Main Results:

Age and gender significantly explained variation in somatotype components.
Energy intake and physical activity level explained additional variance (6-20%) in somatotype components.
Significant parent-child and sibling correlations (0.14-0.59) indicated familial aggregation, especially for mesomorphy.
Spouse correlations were non-significant, suggesting assortative mating is not a major factor.

Conclusions:

Somatotype components exhibit familial aggregation, consistent with genetic transmission across generations.
Mesomorphy shows the strongest evidence for heritability, followed by endomorphy and ectomorphy.
While environmental factors (EI, AL) contribute to somatotype, familial resemblance is largely independent of these measured variables.