Growth hormone is touted as an anti-aging remedy, but scientists studying a group of short-statured Ecuadoreans might beg to differ.
genes
Friends with (Genetic) Benefits?
A new study suggests that when it comes to certain genes, friends of a feather flock together—but with others, opposites attract.
New Way to Investigate Crime: A DNA Test for Hair Color
Never mind what the sleuths on CSI would have you believe, finding DNA at the scene of a crime can sometimes be a dead end. Your genome may readily reveal your susceptibility to certain diseases or even the consistency of your …
Is There Any Biology Behind Our Political Affiliations?
There are aspects of our lives that we like to think are totally under our control — political affiliation is certainly one of them. But a growing field of researchers asserts that there may be some biology underpinning our …
Too Many One-Night Stands? Blame Your Genes
Of all the shopworn, will-not-fly, don’t-even-think-of-trotting-it-out excuses for cheating on your significant other, the “I couldn’t help it” ploy has got to be the worst.
Study: New Genes Linked to Puberty and Body Weight in Women
Scientists have found 30 genes that control the timing of puberty in girls. Many of the newly identified genes also contribute to body weight and metabolism.
Spend Too Much For Those Shoes? Blame Your Genes
Science has yet to isolate the Godiva Chocolate or Prada gene, but that doesn’t mean your weakness for pricey swag isn’t woven into your DNA. According to a new study of identical twins, it’s less TV ads or Labor Day sales that …
Researchers identify genes that may cause stuttering
Drawing on previous research suggesting that stuttering might have genetic origins, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine may have identified precisely which genes cause stuttering in certain people. Stuttering, the disorder characterized by repetition, delay and interruptions in speech, impacts an estimated 1% of
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Early Stress Changes Genes Involved in Bonding, Relationships
A growing body of research suggests that early life experience changes the way genes respond to the world—and this can influence everything from the way people respond to stress to their risks for various diseases.
A new study–published in Nature Neuroscience and led by Chris Murgatroyd of the Max Planck Institute in …
A brief history of drinking milk: what our genes can tell us
Europeans’ ability to digest dairy after infancy evolved just 7,500 years ago, spreading out from central Europe — not northern Europe, as previously believed — across the continent and into western Asia.
All humans are mutants, a new study suggests
Researchers in Britain and China are using a new method to measure the rate of genetic mutation among humans — and it seems that all people in the world likely carry at least some new mutations.
For their study, published this week in the journal Current Biology, the researchers enlisted the help of two Chinese men whose families …
Why do some people need less sleep? It’s in our genes, new research suggests
Some people are genetically programmed to need less sleep than the rest of us, according to a new paper published this week in Science. A rare genetic mutation lets its carriers function happily and healthily even with hours less sleep each night than doctors normally recommend.
Researchers discovered the enviable gene variant …
A treatment for blindness reveals the incredible plasticity of the brain
Recently doctors began gene-therapy trials to treat Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a common cause of blindness in babies and children. Now, a group of doctors reports that they’ve found an unexpected benefit of the gene therapy. After treatment, vision may continue to improve with time — because the brain can re-wire itself to better …
