No single gene associated with being gay
A single 'gay gene'? Doesn't exist, says science
'Born this way'? Possibly, but there's no single gene to determine sexual orientation, a new study reveals
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News • Sexual orientation & DNA
Genes alone cannot be used to determine an individual’s sexual orientation. A new research found only five out of hundreds of thousands genetic variants occurred somewhat more often in people who had had gay partners. This suggests human sexuality is influenced by a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors, according to the researchers.
The study, which has been published in the journal Science, is based on data from the UK Biobank, the U.S. firm 23andMe and the Swedish Twin Registry at Karolinska Institutet.
Prior research has shown that genetics is partly involved in sexual orientation but not been proficient to identify specific emotionally attached genes. The current learn involving more than 490,000 participants found five genetic variants that were more common in subjects who reported having had queer sexual partners. Two of the genetic variants occurred in both males and females while two were only identified in men and another
Massive Study Finds No Single Genetic Produce of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior
Few aspects of human biology are as complex—or politically fraught—as sexual orientation. A clear genetic link would advise that gay people are “born this way,” as opposed to having made a lifestyle selection. Yet some apprehension that such a finding could be misused to “cure” homosexuality, and most research teams hold shied away from tackling the topic.
Now a new examine claims to dispel the notion that a single gene or handful of genes make a person prone to same-sex behavior. The analysis, which examined the genomes of nearly half a million men and women, found that although genetics are certainly involved in who people prefer to have sex with, there are no specific genetic predictors. Yet some researchers question whether the analysis, which looked at genes associated with sexual activity rather than attraction, can sketch any real conclusions about sexual orientation.
“The message should stay the same that this is a complex behavior that genetics definitely plays a part in,” said study co-author Fah Sathirapongsasuti, a computational biologist at genetic testin
No single 'gay gene' propose genome studies
The largest analyze to date into the genetic basis of sexuality has found that there is no single gene associated with same-sex sexual behaviour.
The findings, based on the genomes of nearly 500,000 participants, reflect the results of previous, smaller studies - although sexual choice has a genetic component, no single gene has a determining effect on sexual behaviours.
'There is no "gay gene",' said Dr Andrea Ganna, a geneticist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and first author of the study published in Science.
Dr Ganna and his colleagues used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to look at the genomes of hundreds of thousands of people for single-letter DNA changes called SNPs. If lots of people with a certain trait – here, for lgbtq+ sexual preferences – split a common SNP, it is likely that the SNP is related to the given characteristic.
In instruction to obtain such a large sample size, the team used genomic statistics that had previously been collected as part of broader projects. These included DNA data and responses from participants of the UK Bi
No single 'gay gene', reveals the largest-ever study of the genetics of queer sexual behaviour
Scientists have again debunked the idea of a single "gay gene", in the largest investigate to date of the genetics of same-sex sexual behaviour.
Key points:
- Researchers scanned the human genome for genetic markers associated with queer sexual behaviour
- Many genes manipulate a person's likelihood of having had same-sex partners, but they have only a small 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 alter it.
Nearly half a million people took part in the study, mostly from the United Kingdom and the United States, which was published in the journal Science today.
While we've known from previous twin and family studies that our sexual preferences are influenced by our genes, it's been difficult for scientists to pinpoint whether any specific genetic markers could play a role.
While most previous studies hold involved only a rare hundred or a rare thousand partic
No single gene can predict an individual’s sexual orientation
Prior analyze has shown that genetics is partly involved in sexual orientation but not been able to identify specific emotionally attached genes. The current study involving more than 490,000 participants found five genetic variants that were more common in subjects who reported having had queer 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 effect on sexual preference, between 8 to 25 percent, according to the study.
The researchers stress that although certain genetic variants be upright out on the group level, genetics cannot be used to predict an individual’s sexual choice and that unlike environmental and sociocultural factors also compete a role.
No ‘gay gene’
“The study clearly shows that there is no so-called ‘gay gene,’ but rather, as in many complex human behaviors, many genetic variants are deeply interested that each has a very puny effect but together do have