Tejas Y
Height is often the first thing that comes to mind when people think of inheritance or genetics. Whether it be basketball players or rowers, height is one of our defining characteristics, and here is a bit more on how it works.
On average ones height is in between the average of their parents height, obviously there are cases where an individual’s children may be taller or shorter than them, and diseases that influence height may be factors as well. However, height is usually made up by several different genes that affect height and outside factors such as nutrition, etc.
Studies have shown that up to 80% of height is determined by genetics, but lets talk about the other 20%.
Sleep can also influence height, as growth hormones are released while we are asleep, and sleep deprivation will hold these hormones and possibly others in.
According to www.ifpri.org, an estimated 159 million children under 5 each year are stunted because of chronic malnutrition. In fact, your height can be stunted before you are born due to malnutrition in the mother.
A syndrome that buffs height if you will, in marfan syndrome. People with said syndrome are usually very tall, with extremely long arms and legs. There is currently no cure obviously for marfan syndrome, as it is caused by the FBN1 gene and is purely genetic.
Achondroplasia is the most common form of dwarfism, characterized by a short stature, arms, and legs. Its caused by the FGFR3 gene, usually a random mutation, but sometimes it is inherited.
nature.com
PubMed
kidshealth.org
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