The latest study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, has identified a single gene called HMGA2. The change of just a single base "letter" in HMGA2's genetic code -- a "C" (for cytosine) instead of a "T" (for thymine), adds nearly a centimeter (0.4 of an inch) in height to individuals who inherited this variant from both parents.
The British and U.S. scientists arrived at the conclusion by analyzing DNA from nearly 5,000 white people of European descent, mainly individuals living in Britain, Sweden and Finland.
Researchers also found that nearly one-fourth of white Europeans carry the double "C" variant. Around a quarter have the double "T" version, thus leaving them about a centimeter (0.4 inch) shorter than their double "C" counterparts.
"Height is a typical 'polygenic' trait, in other words many genes contribute towards making us taller or shorter," lead researcher Tim Frayling of the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, south western England said in a press release.
"Clearly, our results do not explain why one person will be six feet five inches (192 cms) and another only four feet 10 inches (145 cms). This is just the first of many that will be found, possibly as many as several hundred," he added.
Scientists now believe that the new discovery could also be beneficial in providing clues about risks of various diseases, with taller more likely to be at risk from prostate, bladder and lung cancer.
Conversely, shorter people are known to have a higher risk of heart disease.
