[The joint variability of the growth-weight characteristics and biochemical gene markers in newborn infants].

A relationship between heterozygosity of 6 biochemical loci and variability of 4 anthropometric traits at birth has been studied in 304 boys and girls from Moscow population. All 4 traits in boys are positively correlated with the number of loci for which they are heterozygous. The values of all the traits in girls are highest in homozygous individuals. In order to reduce the number of variables the principal component analysis is applied. Boys and girls with average level of heterozygosity turned out to be closest to the corresponding population averages of morphological traits. The results are discussed in terms of 3 models: Lerner's concept of genetical homeostasis, additive and overdominance polygenic models. It is concluded that an average level of heterozygosity is optimal for a population.