BBC News
Scientists say they have begun to crack the genetic code that helps determine when a girl becomes a woman.
The genes were found on chromosomes six and nine
A UK-led team located two genes on chromosomes six and nine that appear to strongly influence the age at which menstruation starts.
The Nature Genetics study also provides a clue for why girls who are shorter and fatter tend to get their periods months earlier than classmates.
The genes sit right next to DNA controlling height and weight.
A second paper, published in the same journal, also concludes that one of the two genes highlighted by the first study plays a key role in the timing of puberty in both girls and boys.
Reproductive lifespan is closely linked to the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis.
It is thought that the female sex hormone oestrogen - produced at higher rates during a woman's reproductive life - raises the risk of these diseases.
Therefore, the earlier a woman goes through puberty, the more risk she may be at. Read more...
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