It is believed that height of a child depends upon the genes inherited from parents. However, it is often seen that tall parents may have short children and vice-versa. Are there factors other than genes, that can cause these variations?

Yes, though the height of a child depends upon genes inherited from a parent there are various factors which affect the height of a child. These include a balanced diet, exercise, hormones, diseases etc. If a child is not getting proper nutrients from his diet then it will affect his growth and development as various nutrients help in the building of bones, muscles, tissues etc. Similarly, if growth hormone is not properly secreted by pituitary gland it may cause stunted growth-dwarfism or over growth- gigantism in children. Proper and regular exercise is required for healthy bones and muscles development. Certain diseases also cause improper growth and development in the body. So the height of a person depends on these factors.