What relation can be genetically closest to me?

Question

I know how genetics and DNA work pretty well I am struggling with this.

I am one of 4 sons in my family all from the same 2 parents.

Can I be genetically closer to my brothers than my dad even though it was my dad's gene's that created me?

When I think about it, it's obvious my genes are a fairly even mix between my mother and father, so around 50/50, maybe extending to 60/40 in some cases. So say I'm 60% my dad's genes.

My brothers are also made from these same genes, so technically they could be a 99% match in terms of DNA and be closer than my father?

Thanks.

Answer 1

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You are partially right. You inherit exactly 50% of your genes from each parent, so your genetic relationship with them is 50%, nothing more or less - the person you resemble most is just a chance mixture of alleles (+ a few very complex differences). When it comes to your relationship with your brothers, on average you will share 50% of your DNA with them. The best way to think of this is to think of identical twins, who share 50% of their genes with their parents, but 100% with each other. If you inherited exactly the same DNA from your father you would be 100% identical through the paternal line, but share only 50% with your parent.