Act normal!

Height is one of the most noticeable genetic characteristics. Moreover, it is a characteristic with a normal distribution, meaning that height plotted against number shows a perfect bell curve. And that can be perfectly illustrated if you have sufficient people of approximately the same age.

This practical experiment is an annual field trip for the course in Fundamentals of Genetics, Fons Debets explains. He is one of the course teachers. Some 260 students enrolled in the course this year. Although not all of the students are present for the picture on the grass near Forum, the curve still shows with over half of the students.

Drone

If you have a bird’s eye view, that is. Formerly, the picture was shot from one of the surrounding buildings. WUR’s drone team has taken to shooting the pictures as of last year, resulting not only in better pictures but also in a nice video. The photographs are a great keepsake. Debets: ‘When are you in a picture with all of your study-mates? Almost never, right?’

That is a great illustration of where the genes for height are found

Fons Debets, Laboratory for Genetics

The (cold) excursion is not just for fun, ‘The pictures are almost always included in the exam’, Debets says. Multiple pictures are taken: one with only the female students and one with only the male students. The apex of the curve matches different average heights.’

Y-chromosome

‘And that is a great indication of where the genes for height are found’, Debets explains. ‘There is a clear influence of the Y-chromosome.’ In an ideal situation, you should even see two separate apexes, one for each curve. However, the group is not homogenous. Thanks to some international students, the shorter heights are overrepresented.

The latter illustrates the international character of WUR. The course in Fundamentals of Genetics is taught twice, says teacher Duur Aanen: In English now and again in Dutch in January. The English version includes internationals that are currently following the English language Marine Sciences bachelor programme.

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