Even before birth your height was already written (largely) in your genes. That is to say, in the genetic material that you have inherited from your parents and that will also determine, for example, the color of your eyes, some traits of your personality and your predisposition to suffer from certain diseases. But what part of the DNA is responsible for dictating your height? Are there genes that determine whether you will be taller or shorter? And is there anything we can do to modify these innate characteristics? A study published this Friday in the journal ‘Cell Genomics’ reveals what exactly are the “height genes” and what kind of factors influence the size of a person.
The work detects 145 genes that influence the height an individual reaches
The research, led by endocrinologist Nora Renthal, from Harvard University, has focused on the analysis of 600 million mouse cartilage cells. From this sample they have been trying to eliminate different genes to see which ones had a function on cell growth and maturation of cartilages. The search pointed directly to 145 genes that the analysis suggests directly influence the development of these tissues that cover the ends of the bones and, consequently, affect the height an individual reaches.
These data were also compared with the most complete maps to date elaborated on the human genome. The comparison between the genome points of the mice that determine the size of rodents and those of our species revealed that, also in our case, there is a direct relationship between these genes and height. According to the experts who have led this work, in humans genes that affect cartilage cells they overlap with the critical points that, until now, we related to human height. All this, this analysis points out, suggests that these DNA points probably play a role in determining our height.
growth factors
This research, far from providing a definitive answer on why we are the way we are (or in this case, why we measure what we measure), adds one more piece to understand the complex puzzle of our genome. Previous studies on ‘altitude genes’ have also pointed to the importance of the genes encoding the growth proteins and the hormones, those that influence the growth of bones and cartilage as well as those that influence the metabolism. The combination of all these factors is what, finally, determine the height of a person.
Related news
Beyond genetic factors, there are also studies that point to the importance of environmental factors. Both the nutrition as lifestyle they play a key role in the development of bones and muscles during childhood and thus affect a person’s height. In the same way, it has been observed that exercise and a correct sleep routine are factors that can stimulate the correct growth of a person. On the contrary, there is research that associated with a lower growth rate with factors such as poor air quality and the presence of some environmental pollutants.
but of what is the use of finding the ‘altitude genes’? According to the experts, for now they only provide basic knowledge but, one day, they could help us to treat people with bone diseases. “The more we can understand about the biology of this phenomenon, the closer we will be to being able to intervene at key moments in bone growth,” explains Renthal after the publication of this latest study.