Tech | June 14, 2010 | 2 comments

Two Genes Help Explain How Tibetans Survive in High Altitude

source: http://singularityhub.com/2010/06/11/two-genes-help-explain-how-tibetans-survive-in-high-alt...

Image
UtopianSky
Researchers from the University of Utah and Qinghai University in China have discovered two genes which assist ethnic Tibetans survive in the high altitude of the Himalayas. Their study, recently published in the journal Science, compared key genes in 31 unrelated Tibetans to those of 45 lowland Chinese and 45 Japanese people. They found that the EGLN1 and PPARA genes were responsible for the characteristic lower levels of hemoglobin in Tibetans – revealing half the genetic mystery in to what allows them to survive in the thin air. Further research in this field may not only reveal the genes responsible for high-altitude adaptation, it could be the first step in providing the same genetic boon to people all over the world.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Tech,   Science,   The Future
  2. tags:
    Science,  Biology,  Genetics,  Singularity
  3.     
    |

2 comments // Two Genes Help Explain How Tibetans Survive in High Altitude

more from Tech:
from the community

top videos