Left handed? You have presidential company

President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) and former US President Barack Obama (centre), and Auma Obama at State House, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

US President Barrack Obama (seated) signs visitors' book during his 2015 visit to Kenya, as President Uhuru Kenyatta looks. [Image: Courtesy]
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When trying to deduct this, the Scientific American postulates that individuals have genes which occupy the same location (alleles). The genes are named as D (dextral meaning 'right') and the other one is C (meaning 'chance'), the Scientific American study reveals. It states: "It is the D gene that promotes right-hand preference in the majority of humans. The C gene is less likely to occur within the gene pool, but when it is present, the hand preference of the individual with the C gene is determined randomly." "Individuals with the C gene will have a 50 per cent chance of being right-handed and a 50 per cent chance of being left-handed," it further explains. The study also reveals that the D gene, responsible for right-handedness, can be passed on from parents to children. "The D gene is more frequent in the population and is more likely to occur as part of the genetic heritage of an individual," it states. Explaining the existence of more right-handers, the study ties it to the parental genetic make-up which dictates their make-up of the offspring. In most instances, the study says that the genes leading to right-handedness are much more pronounced. It states: "The proposed genetic locus that determines hand preference contains an allele from each parent, and the various possible genetic combinations are DD individuals who are strongly right-handed, DC individuals who are also mostly right-handed, and CC individuals who are either right-handed or left-handed." It implies that for one to be left-handed, he or she must have CC genetic make-up which comprises the minority. Also, having CC genetic make-up is not an alternative guarantee of being left-handed.Do not miss out on the latest news. Join the Standard Digital Telegram channel HERE.