Gay gene study
No single 'gay gene', reveals the largest-ever study of the genetics of homosexual sexual behaviour
Scientists hold again debunked the idea of a single "gay gene", in the largest study to meeting of the genetics of same-sex sexual behaviour.
Key points:
- Researchers scanned the human genome for genetic markers associated with gay sexual behaviour
- Many genes influence a person's likelihood of having had same-sex partners, but they acquire only a compact effect on behaviour
- Some people question whether the benefits of this type of research outweigh the potential dangers
Rather, their findings paint a diverse and complex picture of human sexuality, and the genetic factors that influence it.
Nearly half a million people took part in the study, mostly from the Combined Kingdom and the United States, which was published in the journal Science today.
While we've acknowledged from previous twin and family studies that our sexual preferences are influenced by our genes, it's been complicated for scientists to pinpoint whether any specific genetic markers could
No single gene can predict an individual’s sexual orientation
Prior research has shown that genetics is partly emotionally attached in sexual orientation but not been able to identify specific involved genes. The current study involving more than , participants found five genetic variants that were more ordinary in subjects who reported having had same-sex sexual partners. Two of the genetic variants occurred in both males and females while two were only identified in men and another only in women. This suggests that the sexual preferences of men and women are influenced by partly different genetic signals. Altogether, measured genetic variants had limited influence on sexual preference, between 8 to 25 percent, according to the study.
The researchers emphasize that although certain genetic variants withstand out on the team level, genetics cannot be used to predict an individual’s sexual preference and that different environmental and sociocultural factors also engage a role.
No ‘gay gene’
“The study clearly shows that there is no so-called ‘gay gene,’ but rather, as in many complex human behavi
Across cultures, 2% to 10% of people report having same-sex relations. In the U.S., 1% to % of women and men, respectively, identify as lgbtq+. Despite these numbers, many people still consider queer behavior to be an anomalous choice. However, biologists have documented homosexual deed in more than species, arguing that same-sex action is not an unnatural choice, and may in fact play a crucial role within populations.
In a issue of Science magazine, geneticist Andrea Ganna at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and colleagues, described the largest survey to date for genes associated with homosexual behavior. By analyzing the DNA of nearly half a million people from the U.S. and the U.K., they concluded that genes account for between 8% and 25% of same-sex behavior.
Numerous studies have established that sex is not just male or female. Rather, it is a continuum that emerges from a person’s genetic makeup. Nonetheless, misconceptions persist that same-sex attraction is a choice that warrants condemnation or conversion, and leads to discrimination and persecution.
I am
No single gene associated with creature gay
A genetic analysis of almost half a million people has concluded there is no single "gay gene".
The study, published in Science, used data from the UK Biobank and 23andMe, and found some genetic variants associated with same-sex relationships.
But genetic factors accounted for, at most, 25% of same-sex behaviour.
Advocacy team GLAAD said the study confirmed "no conclusive degree to which nature or nurture influenced how a gay or lesbian person behaves."
The researchers scanned the genomes - the entire genetic make-up - of , people signed up to the UK Biobank project, and 68, registered with the genetics company 23andMe.
Participants were also asked whether they had same-sex partners exclusively, or as well as opposite-sex partners.
The Harvard and MIT researchers concluded genetics could account for between % of same-sex behaviour across the population, when the whole genome is considered.
Five specific genetic variants were found to be particularly associated with same-sex b