A child inherits half of their DNA from each parent. Each human cell contains 46 chromosomes. Children inherit 23 chromosomes from their mother and 23 from their father. This is achieved through meiosis. Meiosis is a specialized form of cell division that is used only to produce an egg or sperm cell.
But before a cell can divide, it must first replicate its DNA. This process essentially breaks the hydrogen bond that holds our double strand of DNA together, unwinding it and creating a "replication fork" with two prongs, each made up of a single strand of DNA containing one pair of chromosomes. It's this separation that allows the the ovum cell (unfertilized egg cell) and sperm cell each contribute half of their DNA to the "new" cell - the now fertilized egg. Representing half of the DNA from the egg cell (mother) and half the DNA from the sperm cell (father).
But before a cell can divide, it must first replicate its DNA. This process essentially breaks the hydrogen bond that holds our double strand of DNA together, unwinding it and creating a "replication fork" with two prongs, each made up of a single strand of DNA containing one pair of chromosomes. It's this separation that allows the the ovum cell (unfertilized egg cell) and sperm cell each contribute half of their DNA to the "new" cell - the now fertilized egg. Representing half of the DNA from the egg cell (mother) and half the DNA from the sperm cell (father).