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Heritability

Definition

Heritability is the proportion of observed differences on a trait among individuals of a population that are due to genetic differences.

Analogy

Think of heritability like baking a cake. The recipe (genes) you use can affect how the cake turns out, but so can other factors like the quality of your ingredients or the temperature of your oven (environment). Heritability is about figuring out how much of the final product is due to the recipe itself.

Related terms

Genotype: This refers to an individual's collection of genes. The term also can refer to the two alleles inherited for a particular gene.

Phenotype: This is an individual's observable traits, such as height, eye color, and blood type. The phenotype is determined by an individual's genotype and environmental influences.

Gene-environment interaction: This refers to situations where genetic makeup influence individuals' responses to their environment.