Why are men often taller than women? (Image credit: RunPhoto via Getty Images)
On average, men are about 5 inches (13 centimeters) taller than women. But why is that?
In short, we don’t know the exact answer. Although this gender difference in height is observed all over the world, we still can’t fully explain why it happens. However, there are some clues from sex-linked genes and hormones that may help us understand this mystery.
Height is a complex characteristic influenced by many factors. One is genetics: genes on both sex chromosomes and regular chromosomes determine height. Each child receives two sets of chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Two of these chromosomes are sex chromosomes: females typically have XX, while males have XY. Parents often pass on genes that match their own characteristics, so children of tall parents will generally be taller than children of short parents.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
