Your height isn't simply a direct average of your parents' heights. While genes significantly influence height, inheritance isn't a simple matter of averaging parental traits. It's far more complex than that.
The Genetics of Height
That's because your height is determined by your genes, the complex instructions you inherit from your parents. These genes influence your body's growth, including height. However, you don't inherit a perfect blend of your parents' traits. Many genes contribute to height, and each parent contributes a different combination of these genes. The specific combination you inherit determines your ultimate height.
How Genes Influence Height
- Multiple Genes: Hundreds of genes influence height, not just a few. The interaction between these genes is extremely complex.
- Gene Combinations: You receive a mix of genes from both your mother and father. The specific combination you inherit impacts your height potential. Some genes may promote taller growth, while others might have the opposite effect. The net effect of these numerous genes determines your stature.
- Environmental Factors: Genes aren't the only factor. Nutrition, health, and overall environment during childhood significantly affect growth. Even with genes that predispose to tallness, poor nutrition could result in shorter stature.
Why You Might Be Shorter Than Your Parents
- Recessive Genes: You might have inherited more genes that promote shorter stature from one or both parents. These genes could be recessive, meaning their effects are only visible when paired with a similar gene from the other parent.
- Genetic Variation: Even within the same family, there's genetic variation. The combination of genes you inherited might simply result in a different height compared to your parents.
- Environmental Factors: As mentioned before, factors like nutrition and illness during childhood can significantly impact final height.
