Our heights are strongly related to the genes we inherited
from our parents. Studies suggested that about 80 percent of the variance in
height among people is closely lined to their DNA.
The largest genetic study of height-related genes to date
titled the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT). It has been
identified that 423 genetic regions connected to height. This data provided explanation
that about 60% of the genetic component plays a large role in determining a
person height. Dr. Joel Hirschhorn, leader of the GIANT consortium at Boston
Children’s Hospital argues, “Trait like height, which isn’t determined by a
single gene but likely the combined effects of multiple genes involved in
multiple different processes from bone growth to cell growth.”
The most recent analysis published in the journal “Nature
Genetics,” describes the gene variants commonly shared among individuals (not
mutation) that likely play a large role in people heights. Researchers obtained
more than 250,000 genomes from people of various heights and correlated their
stature with the genetics. It was found that many similar factors related to
height such as skeletal growth and collagen. Mutated skeletal growth and
collagen in certain individuals cause medically short stature.
Researchers found that previous gene regions related to
height involved in cell growth but no in skeletal functions. New research
focuses on the regions of interest and to isolate specific genes and the
proteins. These proteins include growth factors, enzymes, and other agents that
are responsible for determining height. If successful, new treatment may arise
to treat medical conditions of short stature or gigantism.
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