In the end, it is all about genetics. Your genes are more important than you might think, and they can determine some crazy characteristics. What your DNA can say about you is a question that has made scientists and people wonder since the discovery of DNA in 1953.

The DNA is so small that researchers need a microscope in order to observe it. It carries the genetic information from your parents, and even if it is basically the same for everybody, there is a small percentage of it that is unique. Your eye color and hair color are both determined by your DNA.

We are here today to present some of the things that are solely determined by your genes. From various traits of your body to incredible abilities, these things are all about genetics.

So, do you know what your DNA can say about you? Do you have any of these fantastic traits?

1. Earwax

All of us have earwax. And there are two types: one is sticky and brown, while the other is yellow, dry, and scaly. You probably already know which one you have. But what your DNA can say about you and your earwax is more complex than that.

The genotype of wet earwax is the dominant one. Actually, it is completely dominant over the dry wax one. This means that you need to have a single copy of the wet earwax genotype to get wet earwax.

But how is this working? It all depends on whatever variation, or allele, of the gene called ABCC11 you have. A fun fact about all of this is that, according to a study, those with wet earwax also dislike how their armpit smells. The study was conducted with 79 Japanese participants, and 98.7% of those who had wet earwax admitted that they experienced axillary osmidrosis.

2. Sunlight sneeze

Have you ever experienced the following scenario? You’ve been to the movies or you’ve been to a place that is dimly lit, and after you go out into the sunlight, your nose starts to feel itchy and you suddenly sneeze.

If you ever wondered what this is, you should know that it is called the photic sneeze reflex, also known as the sunlight sneeze. Apparently, when some people expose themselves to bright sunlight, they start to sneeze.

Scientists are yet to understand how this reflex works, but it is clear that this is part of the “what your DNA can say about you” group. The scientific name of this condition is called autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst, or ACHOO syndrome.

This syndrome affects between 17% and 35% of the entire world’s population, but it poses no harm to your health. If you have one parent who has ACHOO syndrome, you have a 50% chance of developing one too. If both of your parents have this syndrome, you have a much higher chance of having it too: 75 to 100%. The rs10427255 allele is responsible for the sunlight sneeze, as its presence can increase the chance of having this syndrome.

3. Night owl or morning bird?

This is a thing that has been discussed for decades and decades: Are you a night owl or a morning bird? When do you feel the most productive? Late at night or early in the morning? All of us are driven by our internal clock and circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is basically our internal sleep-wake cycle, and it is controlled by more than 20,000 nerve cells. The area of the brain that has all of these neutrons is called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. We are all born with our own rhythm, and some might identify as morning people while others might identify as evening people.

Recent studies have shown that genetics play a big role in our circadian rhythm. It seems that what your DNA can say about you is also about how and when you sleep. Until now, it was believed that there were 24 genes that controlled your chronotype, but now, after a 2019 study led by the University of Exeter and Massachusetts General Hospital, we know that there are more than 350 different genes that are involved in our sleep preferences.

4. Perfect pitch

If you are a musician, you probably know what “perfect pitch” is. If you don’t know what it is, we are here to explain it to you. Normally, trained musicians have a relative pitch, which means they can sing a note like G or C if they have a reference. When someone has a perfect pitch or absolute pitch, they can recognize and sing any musical note without having any reference. For example, they can tell you what note the buzzing you are hearing outside is. Pretty amazing, right?

There are not a lot of things that we know about perfect pitch, but it is clear that genetics plays a role in all of this. What your DNA can say about you and your perfect pitch is not entirely clear, but studies have shown that it runs in the family. All people who have this, let’s call it, gift have at least one partner who has the perfect pitch.

An older study found that perfect pitch can’t be taught if you don’t have the genetics for it. Also, those who have a predisposition for the skill will not develop it if they don’t train. So, genetics and training go hand in hand on this one.

5. Gluten sensitivity

Gluten sensitivity, or gluten intolerance, is an immune reaction to gluten. This is a protein that can be found in rye and wheat. Gluten intolerance affects a large proportion of individuals around the world, and some of the most common symptoms are diarrhea, bloating, constipation, and abdominal pain.

What your DNA can say about you and your gluten sensitivity is that this condition is hereditary. Yes, it can be passed down through entire generations. Usually, in a family that has a person who suffers from gluten intolerance, there are more people who have it.

Usually, you need to inherit the gluten intolerance gene from both parents in order to develop the condition. If you are curious if you have gluten sensitivity or not, you can always take a DNA test that is made especially for you.

6. The weight and the genes

What your DNA can say about you and your weight is a complex topic. Is there a “fat gene”? Are some people bound to be overweight? To date, over 400 distinct genes have been linked to the causes of overweight or obesity, although only a few appear to play a major role.

The way your genes cause obesity is linked to how they affect your appetite, your metabolism, your body-fat distribution, your satiety, and your tendency to eat under stressful conditions.

Now, the whole process is kind of tricky, and while the genetic predisposition of some people to get overweight is only 25%, for others it might be as high as 70% to 80%.

If you are curious about how big of an impact genes have on your weight, see if any of the following are true for you:

• your parents or several blood relatives are extremely overweight. If you and your parents are all overweight and the chances of developing obesity are 80%;
• you’ve been overweight for most of your life;
• it is very hard for you to lose weight even if you have a low-calorie diet and engage in physical activity.

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