That allows microsatellites (and so any genes that are near them) to be tracked from parent to offspring.

ECONOMIST: Human genetics

It seems to be important in some sorts of cancer, and there is also evidence that regulation by methylation can be passed from parent to offspring, meaning that characteristics acquired by one generation may be inherited by the next.

ECONOMIST: Nanopores may lead the way to a new generation of sequencing

And everyone assumes "the offspring is benefitting from the parent's name, " says David Dotlich, chairman of Pivot Learning LLC, a leadership consultancy.

WSJ: How Successful Parents Raise Successful Kids

What Washington State has enshrined into law is a very questionable analogy to open adoption: just as adopted children are increasingly granted the right to access information about their birth parent or parents so too should donor offspring have the right to identifying information about the donor.

FORBES: Balancing the Rights of Donor Offspring With Those of Donors: But What About Parents?

Unfortunately, Saturn's parent (GM) proceeded to neglect its offspring's new-product portfolio and Saturn cars became uncompetitive.

CNN: The fate of four GM brands

Genes are switched back and forth between each pair, so that each chromosome received by the offspring is a mosaic of the parent's pair.

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