Scientists isolate gene for height

LONDON, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- An international team of scientists from Britain and the United States has identified the first gene directly linked to height.

Analyzing DNA from 35,000 people, the scientists discovered that a single letter in the human genetic code is responsible for making some people taller than others, The Guardian reported Monday.

The scientists say inheriting a form of the gene HMGA2 that has the letter C written into the genetic code instead of a T adds about a quarter of an inch to a person's height while inheriting two copies can add half an inch.

The study was carried out by scientists at Harvard University and Children's Hospital Boston along with U.K. researchers at Oxford University and the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter.

"Because height is a complex trait, involving a variety of genetic and non-genetic factors, it can teach us valuable lessons about the genetic framework of other complex traits such as diabetes, cancer and other common human diseases," says Joel Hirshhorn, a senior researcher on the study.