Have you ever wondered what the phrase, "must be in your genes" means? You've probably heard someone mention it, either towards your direction or someone else near you. Or you might have even uttered those words yourself at some point in your life. Maybe your co-worker said it to you one day because you never take a day off work due to sickness.

"Must be in your genes", is said to someone who very rarely gets sick or gets sick a lot. Why do people say it's in our genes? It usually has something to do with genetics. Knowing what genetics is and understanding genetics can be two entirely different things. Basically, genetics is the science of genes. It's part of the field of biology that studies, in addition to genes, heredity, living organisms and their variations.

When somebody mentions that your genes are a reason why you never get sick or that you get sick all the time and are bed-ridden in your townhouse, what they're trying to say is that you inherited some genes from your parents that made you that way. The DNA that we are born with inherits traits from our parents.



Genes play a part in who we are and what happens in and to our body. We might be born with a certain gene trait but genetics aren't the only thing that plays a part in how our body operates. It's our genes, our DNA, combined with experiences we have on a daily basis that ultimately determines whether or not we get sick.

You eat something expired on your lunch break at your executive recruitment services job, your stomach will not have a good reaction to it. You stand outside in the cold all day long without the proper warm clothing you're going to get cold. It's as simple as that. You come into contact with something you're allergic to at your physiotherapy clinic, you will have an allergic reaction.

While it might certainly, "be in our genes", our genes aren't the only precursor to us being or not being sick. It's our genes plus our interactions and experiences. Hopefully now you know a little bit more about genetics and the next time your friend says, "must be in your genes", you'll have a better understanding of why she said that.

Have you heard the recent advertisements about learning your DNA? Do you want to find out what is "in your genes?". Go to 23andme.com to learn more!