Hang on! So what exactly are chromosomes?
Chromosomes can also be thought of as similar to a ball of wool – if you were to unravel the chromosome; like you would unravel a ball of wool; you would find long lengths of DNA – this is like the ‘thread’ of the ball of wool. Sections of DNA make up genes Genes are basically recipes for creating every function of the body; including looks; and as some researchers have found; personality and behaviour. Because each person has 2 sets of chromosomes; that means they have 2 recipes for every gene (like having 2 slightly different recipes for the same type of chocolate cake). Usually; one version is stronger or more ‘dominant’ than the other and so that copy is seen or ‘expressed’ in the person. For example; take the gene for eye colour: the brown version is stronger than the blue version of this particular gene. So if a person inherited one blue version of the gene in the set of chromosomes they got from their Mum’s egg; and a brown version from their Dad’s sperm; they will have brown ey