Question

Have you ever wondered why siblings sometimes look so similar to each other? Or sometimes even so different?

Answer 1

Part 1 : Introduction of siblings

• Brother and sister from the same parent are called siblings.
• They look similar to their parents but are slightly different from each other.
• The siblings will look similar or different, it is decided by the extent of similarity of the genetic makeup of the two.

Part 2:Reason for different looking siblings
During sexual reproduction each parent contributes a full set of chromosomes to every offspring. These genes present on chromosomes are also passed on randomly to the next generation. Genes that exist in pairs are called alleles. As a consequence, each sibling will inherit a unique allele combination and hence, siblings will have distinct appearances.

Part 3: Reason for similar looking siblings
When the alleles inherited by siblings from their parents are mostly similar, then the siblings will look alike but not identical.