Hair Color is Influenced by Genetics

Tiny changes in the DNA of our genome have a big influence in determining the color of our hair, a new study conducted by researchers at Stanford University, California, reveals.

The researchers were trying to identify the genetic and molecular basis that determines naturally occurring traits and found that a single letter change in the DNA differentiates brunettes from blondes.

The researchers also found that the common stereotype of blondes having blue eyes was not linked genetically and they stated that the change in the DNA that turned people blonde did not affect the biology of any other part of the body, thereby dismissing another myth that blondes are often shallow. The study has been published in the journal Nature Genetics.

"The genetic mechanism that controls blond hair doesn't alter the biology of any other part of the body. It's a good example of a trait that's skin deep - and only skin deep. This is a good example of how fine-tuned regulatory differences may be to produce different traits", lead researcher Professor David Kingsley said.

Source: Medindia