What Is a Family Trait?

By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015

A family trait is a genetic likeness that is passed through parents’ genes to their children. Most specific traits are passed directly from one parent. Genetic disorders are also traits that can be passed from a parent to a child.

According to Scientific American, traits that are passed down to children can be dominant or recessive. A dominant trait is a likeness that comes from a more powerful gene. For example, a female parent with blue eyes might pass a blue-eyed gene down to her child, but if her husband has brown eyes, the child will likely have brown eyes as well, because brown-eyed genes are more dominant than blue-eyed genes. Dimples, curly hair, freckles and normal vision are also dominant traits.

Recessive traits can be passed down by both parents. Green eyes and blue eyes are considered recessive traits, so a child with one blue-eyed parent and one green-eyed parent can have either eye color. Other recessive traits include nearsighted vision, red hair, blond hair, thin lips and attached earlobes. Genetic disorders can be dominant or recessive. According to TeensHealth, examples of genetic disorders from dominant genes include Huntington disease, Marfan syndrome and achondroplasia. Examples of recessive genetic disorders include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and albinism.