Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

575
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
575
Pedigree Analysis01:35

Pedigree Analysis

85.8K
Overview
85.8K
X-linked Traits01:19

X-linked Traits

55.6K
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”.
55.6K
Polygenic Traits01:18

Polygenic Traits

66.8K
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...
66.8K
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

602
Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
602
Dihybrid Crosses01:18

Dihybrid Crosses

77.0K
Overview
77.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Early cognitive-linguistic skills as predictors of concurrent and longitudinal poor reader status in Hong Kong Chinese primary school children.

Annals of dyslexia·2026
Same author

Machine learning for predicting acute exacerbation and mortality in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy-associated interstitial lung disease.

Frontiers in medicine·2026
Same author

Neural specialization of print processing in second language learning: A longitudinal ERP study of Chinese children learning English.

Developmental cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same author

Comparing developmental neural incongruency effects in reading and arithmetic among children: An ERP study.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2025
Same author

Toward an Improved Understanding of Dyslexia: Reflections on a New Consensus Definition and Its Implications.

Dyslexia (Chichester, England)·2025
Same author

In-situ formation of [AlO<sub>4</sub>]<sup>0</sup> site for confined catalytic cracking to ethylene with low methane selectivity.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Why Quantification Matters: Characterization of Phenotypes at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction
10:41

Why Quantification Matters: Characterization of Phenotypes at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: May 12, 2016

8.3K

Quantitative multidimensional phenotypes improve genetic analysis of laterality traits.

Judith Schmitz1, Mo Zheng2, Kelvin F H Lui3

  • 1School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland.

Translational Psychiatry
|February 20, 2022
PubMed
Summary

This study reveals that quantitative measures of handedness, footedness, and eyedness better capture underlying genetics than simple binary traits. Parental left-side preference also influences offspring laterality, with stronger maternal effects on footedness.

More Related Videos

Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus
09:26

Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus

Published on: November 6, 2014

9.9K
Two Algorithms for High-throughput and Multi-parametric Quantification of Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Morphology
12:29

Two Algorithms for High-throughput and Multi-parametric Quantification of Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Morphology

Published on: May 3, 2017

10.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Why Quantification Matters: Characterization of Phenotypes at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction
10:41

Why Quantification Matters: Characterization of Phenotypes at the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: May 12, 2016

8.3K
Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus
09:26

Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus

Published on: November 6, 2014

9.9K
Two Algorithms for High-throughput and Multi-parametric Quantification of Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Morphology
12:29

Two Algorithms for High-throughput and Multi-parametric Quantification of Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Morphology

Published on: May 3, 2017

10.7K

Area of Science:

  • Human Genetics
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Quantitative Trait Analysis

Background:

  • Handedness is a well-studied lateralized trait, often simplified to a binary left/right classification.
  • Its association with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders highlights the importance of understanding its genetic underpinnings.
  • Less research has focused on the genetics of other lateralized preferences like footedness and eyedness, or on quantitative measures of these traits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the heritability of hand, foot, and eye preference using parental effects and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability.
  • To compare the heritability of quantitative laterality measures with traditional binary measures.
  • To identify shared genetic factors influencing multiple lateralized traits.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort for parental effects (n≤5028) and SNP-based heritability (n≤5931).
  • Employed structural equation modeling (SEM) in an independent Hong Kong twin cohort (n=358) for replication.
  • Transformed binary laterality categories into quantitative measures by controlling for sex, age, and ancestry.

Main Results:

  • Parental left-side preference increased the likelihood of offspring exhibiting left-sidedness for the same trait, with stronger maternal effects observed for footedness.
  • SNP-based heritability (SNP-h²) for quantitative handedness (0.21) and footedness (0.23) exceeded that reported for binary handedness in larger studies.
  • Quantitative handedness heritability (0.45) was higher than binary writing hand heritability (0.27) in the twin cohort.
  • Genomic and behavioral SEM identified a single shared genetic factor influencing handedness, footedness, and eyedness.

Conclusions:

  • Quantitative, multidimensional measures of laterality are more effective for genetic analysis than binary traits.
  • A shared genetic etiology underlies handedness, footedness, and eyedness.
  • Maternal inheritance plays a significant role in the transmission of footedness.