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What determines our height?

I'm taking an anatomy class and I find it fascinating. This may be a very stupid question but what determines our height? I know people say genetics so do your genes how big your bones need to be?

So for shorter people, their bones will be smaller?

5 Answers

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  • 7 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Height is multifactorial, it does run in the family in the genes however other factors also contribute:

    1) How much calcium your taking in: bone growth requires calcium Ca+2

    2) how much exercise you're getting: insulin and Growth hormone both influence bone growth both of which are released upon exercise

    3) how much sleep you're getting: Growth hormone is released during sleep, if you don''t get enough sleep, you don't grow taller

    All these factors basically contribute, however genetics has the upper hand. If a person has the "shortness genes" these factors may help this person get taller yet if they lack the shortness gene the are predisposed to be tall either way.

  • 7 years ago

    A combination of genes and environment. There have been at least 400 genes found to be associated with height. Nutrition, both pre- and post-natally also contributes a great deal. Bone proportion is not perfectly correlated with height. For instance, an achondroplastic dwarf has much stockier bones that just a miniature version of the average human.

  • 7 years ago

    Genetics. Height is an example of polygenic inheritance and therefore is determined by multiple genes at multiple loci on a chromosome and also is affected by environmental stimuli (which is why some tall parents have short kids, this may be because of the environment).

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

    Bone sizes will grow, it's the stretch between joints, so joints, only joints, dont worry about bones, they will grow, but if a short person starches their joints as an excersize they could grow, however, healthy bones are needed in this proccess

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  • ?
    Lv 5
    7 years ago

    Check out this site for a prediction of your adult height. It is about 70% genetics and the rest is good eating, and healthy lifestyle

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