Scottish scientists have found more than 500 genes responsible for intelligence in the largest study in the field.
A group of researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, led by Ian Diri, conducted a large-scale study comparing DNA variations of more than 240,000 people around the world and found more than 500 genes associated with intelligence - ten times more than previous researchers could find.
“It has long been known that the development of intelligence is significantly influenced by the environment and genes. Our research has identified which genes are responsible for intelligence. In addition, it is possible that health and intelligence are related because they are influenced by the same genes,”said Diri. His team has identified 538 genes that play a role in intellectual ability.
Based on this discovery, scientists from Southampton and Harvard universities conducted tests on material from the British biobank, created to study human diseases. Researchers were able to determine the IQ level of an independent group of people using only their DNA data.
“Intelligence is a hereditary trait. About 50-80% of the differences in intelligence can be explained by genetic factors,”said the head of the study, Dr. David Hill.
In addition, it was found that the presence of "intelligent" genes reduces the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, schizophrenia and obesity, and a low level of intelligence in childhood is directly associated with earlier death of a person. “We saw that people with higher levels of cognitive function have better physical and mental health, as well as longer life expectancy,” summed up Hill.
The study authors are concerned about the moral side of their discovery, which, in fact, allows you to "model" the unborn child at the genetic level. The ability to select embryos based on their "intelligence genes" could lead to a loss of diversity, scientists say.
Julia Koshkina
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