Scientists have discovered nearly 1,000 new genes associated with intelligence
Source:
The Researchers found 1016 of specific genes associated with intelligence, most of which was previously unknown to science. An international group of scientists conducted a large-scale study and found 190 new genetic loci and 939 new genes associated with intelligence, significantly expanding our understanding of the genetic bases of cognitive functions. The authors in their opening two journal Nature Genetics.
Under the leadership of Daniel Posthuma from the free University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands) researchers conducted a genome-wide study of Association, which was attended by nearly 270 000 people of different genders, ages and races. All of them were invited to undergo neurocognitive testing to determine intelligence level. After that, the researchers compared the results with the DNA of the participants and thus determine which genes are associated with cognitive function.
More than 9 million found in a sample changes, the team Postumi found in DNA code 205 sites associated with intelligence (only 15 of them have been isolated) and 1016 specific genes (of which were previously found only 77).
According to the researchers, the discovered genes are related not only intelligence, but also serve a protective function. Scientists have discovered that they have an inverse correlation with Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, depressive symptoms and schizophrenia. At the same time, they had found a correlation with autism, as well as life expectancy. Previously imposed the assumption that smart people will live longer.
"Our results indicate the coincidence of genetic processes associated with cognitive functioning and neurological and psychiatric disorders, which gives the opportunity to think about the possible relationship between the processes causing these correlations", — scientists.
"These results are important for understanding the biological bases of cognitive functioning and contribute to the understanding of any associated neurological and psychiatric disorders".
The Work of scientists is based on similar studies, the results of which were published last year. The study then conducted the same group of experts. At that time, scientists were able to identify only 40 new genes associated with intelligence, therefore this year's analysis covered a large sample of people.
In a separate study, which also led Posthuma scientists conducted another large genome-wide study of Association. This time it was attended by nearly 450 000 people. In the experiment, the experts determine genome substitution 136 significant loci associated with neuroticism and 599 related genes.
Of the total number of identified 124 loci were completely new to science. Moreover, if we consider that up to this point with neuroticism was associated only 16 loci, the discovery of scientists becomes an important step to our understanding of what drives the development of such disorders as depression, anger, and schizophrenia.
According to scientists, there are two different genetic "sub-cluster" of neuroticism: one refers to "depressive affect", the second as concern.
Despite the fact that to fully understand the picture of how it all works, scientists will take some time, the researchers say that now they have the data and check the functional hypotheses that will help to understand the neurobiology of neuroticism.
Can genes create the perfect diet for you?
Diet on genotype can be a way out for many, but it still has a lot of questions Don't know what to do to lose weight? DNA tests promise to help you with this. They will be able to develop the most individual diet, because for this they will use the m...
How many extraterrestrial civilizations can exist nearby?
If aliens exist, why don't we "hear" them? In the 12th episode of Cosmos, which aired on December 14, 1980, co-author and host Carl Sagan introduced viewers to the same equation of astronomer Frank Drake. Using it, he calculated the potential number ...
Why does the most poisonous plant in the world cause severe pain?
The pain caused to humans by the Gimpi-gympie plant can drive him crazy Many people consider Australia a very dangerous place full of poisonous creatures. And this is a perfectly correct idea, because this continent literally wants to kill everyone w...
How do neutrino detectors: an example of Japanese "Super-Kamiokande"
Hidden at the depth of 1 km under the mountain, Ikeno, in a zinc mine Kamioka, 290 km North from Tokyo (Japan) is the place as its lair would dream of any super villain from some movie or story about supercoach. Here is a "Super-K...
"Microlaser" the size of a cell can regulate the activity of the brain
Scientists spent years trying to create lasers smaller and smaller sizes. The latest invention labs Berkeley, however, special in its kind and can lead to significant changes in medicine. An international group of scientists has d...
NASA unveiled a new plan to counter asteroid threats
According to statistics, the chances that you will die from asteroid has a much lower chance of being killed by lightning. From time to time space the stones closer to our planet, but the vast majority of cases all ends well – the...
recently we talked about the fact that media companies must increasingly look to the demands of Generation Z. Colleagues from Business Insider interviewed 100 teenagers. The task is to find out how they watch TV. The results of th...
Physicists finally found the "missing" baryons of the Universe
Scientists from the University of Colorado at boulder found a last reservoir of normal matter hiding in the Universe. Out of the ordinary (baryonic) matter consist of all existing physical objects, from stars to black holes. But u...
Japanese probe Hayabusa2 got the first images of the asteroid "Ryugu"
Japanese space probe Hayabusa2 is now approaching its target, asteroid 1999 JU3 ("Ryugu"). On this occasion the machine made at the moment the best photos of this space object. The probe, launched late December 2014, should get cl...
The "best" scenario of nuclear war has shown dismal results
On the Ground, now more than 15 000 nuclear warheads — enough to blow everything to hell. Even more than enough. But how many nuclear explosions would it take to destroy the enemy? How many nuclear warheads a country-aggressor can...
Scientists began searching for DNA "Loch ness monster"
tales of giant creature that hides in the murky waters of Loch ness, telling more than 1500 years. Every year scientists are firmly decide to put an end to them, revealing the riddle, but can not catch the monster by the tail — li...
looks Like we'll have to come to terms with a new view about the basic mechanism of photosynthesis and to rewrite the textbooks on biology. Also, we may need to revise approaches to search for alien life and create more effective ...
Scientists have figured out how many people are required to travel to the nearest star system
Dreams of settling other planets, the mankind began to dream even long before we had the first spacecraft for manned flights. And with the opening over the last few decades several thousands of new exoplanets, some of which may we...
A new form of matter may be beyond the periodic table
currently, the heaviest element on the periodic table is ohannesson with an atomic mass of 294. He received the official title in 2016. As every element on the periodic table, Oganessian all of its mass is from the protons and neu...
The average IQ of Europeans has declined since the 1970-ies
a Group of researchers from the Center for economic research, Ragnar Frisch in Norway found that performance IQ tests slowly decreased over the last several decades. In a paper published in PNAS, burnt Bratsberg and OLE Rogeberg d...
Obtained more convincing evidence of the presence of water on the moon
In the desert in Northwest Africa, scientists have found a lunar meteorite contains compelling evidence of hidden water on the moon. According to researchers, who have studied the meteorite, on our natural satellite of its reserve...
Quantum future technologies will use the identical entangled particles
Usually, when physicists carry out quantum entanglement of particles — whether the qubits, atoms, photons, electrons, etc., — these particles can be distinguished. More recently, physicists have demonstrated the possibility of cre...
Scientists filmed the formation of a jet of a black hole
When the black hole gets another unlucky star, it is not always all its matter and energy sucked inside. Sometimes the center of a black hole out giant jets of plasma (jets or relativistic jets), and the first time scientists have...
Because of them, many animals began to live at night
as people increasingly invade and destroy the habitats of wild animals, these animals come to the conclusion that the best way to survive is to pack up and move and go to the night lifestyle. This was the conclusion of a new study...
Reserves of ice in Antarctica over the past 25 years has declined significantly
Over the past 25 years Antarctica has lost more than 3 trillion tons of ice. The loss of ice over the last 5 years has increased dramatically. Such findings stated in one of the most extensive research on the state of the ice cove...
Samsung fully switch to renewable energy sources by 2020
Samsung has announced plans to translate the work of their American, European and Chinese units on renewable energy within two years. The company has already succeeded considerably in this respect in Korea – where the company has ...
"Kaspersky lab" will not cooperate with Europol
"Kaspersky Lab" has carried out a reversal in the direction of Russia and decided not to cooperate with European law enforcement agencies, including Europol. This is due to the recently adopted European Parliament resolution on st...
Astronomers figured out how many of the galaxies is our milky Way
Analysis of the movement of several groups of stars in the halo of the milky Way by a team of astronomers from Groningen University (the Netherlands), suggests that our Galaxy in the past has experienced at least five small and on...
(0)