Earlier, it was believed that children inherit their intelligence from both parents. However, a recent genetics study cast doubt on this theory. Namely, intelligence is inherited from mothers, i.e. from the female X chromosomes which have more than 1,000 genes.

Chromosomes are thread-like formations which contain nucleic and protein acids. They store and transfer genetic information. All of us have one pair of chromosomes in every single cell of our bodies. Men carry one X and one Y chromosome, while women carry two X chromosomes.

Also, the genetic characteristics of gender-specific genes can be either activated or deactivated. The activated genes can affect the genetic development, while deactivated ones have no impact on it.

As a matter of fact, females have greater chance to have an impact on the cognitive ability of their children because there are two X chromosomes in their DNA, which means that intelligence is a gender-specific gene which is inherited from mothers.

Researchers have established this theory after performing their study on genetically modified mice.
During the embryonic development, cells can appear anywhere in the embryos’ brains.

However, as the embryos grow, paternal genes get accumulated in some areas of the brain such as the amygdala, hypothalamus, and the septum. They are part of the limbic system which is involved in functions responsible for our survival, such as aggression, food, and reproduction.

Moreover, a Scottish study involved 12,687 people between ages 14 and 22 whose cognitive abilities were followed by the researchers. They observed the way their intelligence developed throughout the years. The educational and ethnic backgrounds of these people were also taken into consideration. Eventually, researchers found out that the most powerful indicator of one’s intelligence is the IQ of the mother.

That is why mothers have a huge impact on the children’s cognitive abilities. However, the emotional bond between mothers and their children influence the development of children’s intellectual ability as well.

However, only 40-60% of intelligence is hereditary, which means that the environment also has a huge importance on its development.

Also, even if young children have high IQs, they should be stimulated throughout life in order to nourish their intelligence and prevent its stagnation.