Over 500 genes associated with intelligence identified by scientists

(Representational image)

New Delhi: A team of international researchers has identified about 538 genes that play a role in intellectual ability.

According to a study released on Monday that aimed at finding out which genes are associated with intelligence, researchers from the University of Edinburgh, University of Southampton, and Harvard University have compared variation in DNA in more than 240,000 people from around the world.

The team not only identified 538 genes related to intellectual ability but also found 187 regions in the human genome that are linked to thinking skills, Xinhua reported.

According to the study which has been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, some genes linked to intelligence are also associated with a longer life.

It is known that environment and genes both contribute to the differences observed in people's intelligence, said one of the authors Professor Ian Deary from the University of Edinburgh.

"This study adds to what we know about which genes influence intelligence, and suggests that health and intelligence are related in part because some of the same genes influence them, "said Professor Ian Deary.

(With IANS inputs)