Before each cell divides, the DNA is copied and each new cell receives one of these copies. Mendel's theory about simple dominant factors was the start of our understanding of heredity. We now know that most traits are influenced by many pairs of genes working together. Sometimes there is no dominant gene, and the offspring actually is a blend of both traits. Genes give instructions about what can be done, but genes also have to work with the environment in which the organism grows.
Short parents can produce tall children.
Tall parents can produce short children. Your height can also be influenced by your diet. They have already charted over 2,300 of the suspected 100,000 genes that make up the human genome. Some likenesses between children and parents, such as eye color in human beings, or fruit or flower color in plants, are inherited. Other likenesses, such as people's table manners or carpentry skills, are learned.