Heritability

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

(Redirected from Narrow-sense heritability)

Heritability is a statistical concept that describes the proportion of observed variation in a particular trait, as it occurs in a specific population, that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones. Heritability is estimated from populations, not individuals, and it applies only to the population in which it was estimated.

Definition[edit | edit source]

Heritability is a measure of how well differences in people's genes account for differences in their traits. Traits can include characteristics such as height, eye color, and intelligence, as well as disorders like schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. In scientific terms, heritability is a statistical concept represented by a number between 0 and 1.

Calculation[edit | edit source]

Heritability is calculated by comparing the phenotypic variance of individuals with different degrees of relatedness. It is often estimated from twin studies, where the total variance is partitioned into additive genetic variance, non-additive genetic variance, shared environmental variance, and non-shared environmental variance.

Limitations[edit | edit source]

Heritability does not indicate what proportion of a trait is determined by genes and what proportion by environment. So a heritability of 0.7 does not mean that the trait is 70% "caused" by genes. It also does not tell us anything about the nature of the genetic and environmental factors at work.

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Heritability Resources
Wikipedia
WikiMD
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD

Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates

Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD