a son is a kind of male offspring & offspring receives half of the genes from each parent & a father is a kind of male parent & a mother is a kind of female parent ->  a son will receive half of the genes from his mother and his father  a son will receive half of the genes from his mother and his father & genes are able to determine the inherited characteristics of a living thing -> a son will receive traits determined by the genes of his mother and the genes of his father