Why are some of us left-handed

If you’re left-handed, it means it is easier for you to use your left hand to do things like writing, brushing your teeth, catching or throwing a ball, and lots of other things. Only about 10 per cent of people — just one in every 10 — are left-handed.

But why Scientists think handedness, or the hand we prefer to use, is affected partly by our genes.

Different genes have instructions that determine the colour of our eyes, whether our hair is curly or straight, how tall we are, and much, much more. Whether you are left-handed or right-handed might also be decided by your genes.

But scientists aren’t sure why. Gene mutations, or changes or mistakes in our DNA, in one group of genes might play a role. Another idea scientists have is that while we are still in the womb, hormones may make changes to our brains that influence whether we are left-handed or right-handed.