Genetic linkage

So, imagine you have some Legos. Some Legos come in pairs and have to be put together in order to make something cool, like a little car or a little person.

Now, imagine those Legos represent genes in our bodies. Some genes are also in pairs and have to stay together in order to do their job.

Genetic linkage is when those pairs of genes stick together and are inherited together from our parents. It's like if you were playing with your Legos and you found that some pieces just naturally stick together and you can't separate them without breaking them.

Scientists use genetic linkage to help figure out which genes are related to certain traits or conditions that we might have. They look at families with a lot of people in them and study how genes get passed down from one generation to the next.

So, it's kind of like playing with Legos and figuring out which pieces always have to stay together in order to make something cool.