Understanding all the genes that are responsible for your height

Published: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 2:30 am

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Even though both my parents were relatively short, I ended up being above average in height. Scientists have long thought that height is influenced by numerous genes, not just one. Thanks to a massive new genetic study, we now know that height is associated with over 12,000 genetic variants. Rather than being spread out across the genome, these variants are located in only 20 percent of the human genome.
The human genome consists of DNA comprised of molecules called nucleotides. The order of these nucleotides in the DNA of our chromosomes determines everything about us, including how tall we will be. Some traits, such as red-green color blindness, are associated with a single form or variant of a gene. Other traits are determined by multiple genes, like our hair color. It has long been thought that height was such a trait.
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