Environmental conditions influence our body mass index (BMI) by increasing or decreasing the effect of inherited genetic variations, University of Queenslandresearchers have discovered. A team led by Huanwei Wang and Professor Jian Yangfrom UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience found the opposite for human height – that the genetic effects that influence it are very stable from one environment to another. The… Read More »
Their brains may not be bigger than normal, but monkeys created with human brain genes are exhibiting cognitive changes that suggest they might be smarter — and the experiments have ethicists shuddering. In the wake of the genetically modified human babies scandal, Chinese scientists are drawing fresh condemnation from philosophers and ethicists, this time over… Read More »
Skinny people should not act as if they are “morally superior” to those struggling with their weight because the likelihood is they simply have lucky genes, a groundbreaking study by Cambridge University has found. The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, focused on healthy adults with a low body mass index (BMI), and revealed… Read More »
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. It is characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, facial hair or acne and an increased number of eggs arrested in development. Many women also suffer from weight gain, Type 2 diabetes and depression. While first characterized by the medical community in the mid-1930s, few… Read More »