One is tall, the other is shorter. Asians are on average smaller than Europeans and women smaller than men. Also, some people suffer from tall or dwarfism due to a genetic defect. Thus, it can be said that overall body size depends on very different factors such as age, gender, geographical origin and life circumstances.
What is the height of the body?
Body height is basically a biometric characteristic. To determine the height of a person, it is measured from the top of the head to the bottom of the foot. Body height is basically a biometric characteristic. To determine the height of a person, it is measured from the top of the head to the bottom of the foot. Body height is approximately used to identify a person and is also recorded in the identity card and passport. In addition to hereditary conditions, a person’s height is determined in particular by nutritional quality and living conditions in the first three years of life. Diseases such as trisomy 21 or Klinefelter syndrome, on the other hand, are caused by a disorder in the genetic material. Affected individuals are significantly smaller (in the case of trisomy 21) or significantly larger (in the case of Klinefelter syndrome) than the average person. The height of a person is also of great importance in science and research. Anthropometry deals with human body measurements, while auxology is devoted to human growth. Humans have grown by about 14 centimeters in the last 120 years, according to the results of various studies. This development is mainly attributed to the fact that nutritional quality and living standards have improved over the centuries.
Function and task
When a person takes in energy through food, the body first uses it to maintain organ activities and muscle work. The further amount of energy is then available for body growth. However, if the body receives too little energy through food, it does not have sufficient energy reserves for body growth. However, deficiency symptoms are not only associated with low body growth, but also with immune deficiency and an increased risk of disease. And diseases, in turn, worsen nutrient absorption in the body, since the immune system of sick people needs more energy than usual. Therefore, body growth is very closely related to a person’s health status. Genetic researchers have recently discovered how body size is influenced at the genetic level. These findings can greatly facilitate the study of diseases. The research revealed that the mTOR gene is responsible not only for cell growth, but also for human bone formation. According to Tim Frayling, a molecular geneticist at the University of Exeter, the results of the Giant research can be very informative for the treatment of cancer, osteoporosis and heart problems. They can also inform whether a child is growing normally. After all, there are perfectly healthy children who are simply smaller than others for genetic reasons. Researchers can also draw conclusions about later height from the genes. This is because about 80 percent of a person’s height is determined by genetic makeup. The rest depends on nutritional conditions and other environmental factors. For example, a diet rich in protein and nutrients can have a positive influence on body growth. Gender also plays a significant role in body growth. On average, men are not only larger, but they also grow faster than women. Taking the birth control pill may even increase this phenomenon. The increased dose of estrogen can presumably ensure a growth stop, so that young girls already reach their final height at the age of 14 to 15.
Diseases and ailments
There are gene disorders that affect a person’s height. Trisomy 21 and Klinefelter syndrome are the best-known conditions of this type. Trisomy 21 is a disorder of the chromosomes that results in dwarfism. Klinefelter syndrome, on the other hand, causes boys and men to be taller than average. Dwarfism is often also caused by malnutrition or vitamin D deficiency. At the endocrine level, a metabolic disorder can also lead to growth hormone deficiency. Such a deficiency inhibits body growth at a developmental age, which in turn can result in short stature.Metabolic disorders can be congenital or acquired in the course of life. For example, the causes of a growth hormone deficiency can be accidents or injuries to the brain. Researchers now also see a connection between body size and the development of tumors as well as cardiovascular diseases. In this case, height is not the consequence, but one of the causes of certain diseases. Tall people probably suffer from cardiovascular disorders more often than short people. The risk of cancer is also said to be higher in taller people, but so far these results apply only to women. Scientists at the British University of Oxford have proven in a study that the probability of contracting one of the common types of cancer, such as breast or cervical cancer, is 30 percent higher in a woman who is 1.80 meters tall than in a woman who is 1.50 meters tall. However, these results have not yet been clearly substantiated. Growth hormones could play a major role here, as they are responsible for the control and formation of new cells. Uncontrolled cell division caused by growth hormones could therefore promote the formation of tumors. Small people, on the other hand, are said to have an increased risk of heart disease. Researchers have discovered a direct genetic link between short stature and the risk of heart disease. According to Prof. Thomas Meinertz, chairman of the German Heart Foundation, gene parts have been found that prove this connection. For every 6.5 centimeter decrease in height, the risk for the disease increases by 13.5 percent, according to the study.
