29 Jun
2006
29 Jun
'06
8:33 a.m.
If you had access to two cells --- one from a woman and one from her daughter --- would you be able to tell which was the mother and which was the daughter? For purposes of this question, you are NOT allowed to use markers of the biological age of the two individuals. What I want to know is whether, above and beyond the fact that A has as many genes in common with B as B has with A, there might be some subtle asymmetry in the genetic inheritance process that would let you figure out which one gave the genes to the other. This isn't really a math-fun question, but it seems close in spirit. Besides, math-funster Michael Kleber is sure to know the answer. (And I don't belong to any recreational genetics discussion forums.) Jim Propp