Scientists find that there is no gay gene

There is no single gene responsible for a person being gay or a lesbian. That’s the first thing you need to know about the largest genetic investigation of sexuality ever, which was published. A massive study of half a million people finds no single gene behind sexual orientation, adding more evidence that there is no “gay gene”. Publication of the largest-ever study of the roles of genes in homosexual behavior is fanning the debate over whether being gay is due to genes or environment.

“There is no ‘gay gene’ that. No individual gene alone makes a person gay, lesbian or bisexual; instead, thousands of genes likely influence sexual orientation, a massive new study of the genomes of nearly half a million. There is no one gene for being gay, and though genes seem to play a role in determining sexual orientation and same-sex behavior, it’s small, complex, and anything but deterministic.

That’s the conclusion of a paper by an international team of researchers, co-led by Benjamin Neale of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, published today in the journal Science.

Possible reasons for homosexuality and bisexuality brainly

The team combed the genomes. The new study, however, included a much larger number of participants, making the results more statistically reliable than those of the previous, smaller studies.

No spam. Subscription Plans Give a Gift Subscription. In geneticist Dean Hamer of the U. Researchers examined the genetics of almost half a million people who self-reported on whether they had experienced same-sex sexual behaviour - defined in the study as having ever had sex with someone of the same sex. The data also came primarily from older individuals, who mostly lived under stricter social norms and legislative regulations than today's.

There is No ‘Gay Gene,’ but Sexuality is Affected by Many Genes of Small Effect

By Sara Reardon. But taken together, these five markers explained less than 1 percent of the differences in sexual activity among people in the study. The findings were published August 30,in Science. The media coverage of the recent study suggests this area of research is widely misunderstood by journalists, including some science journalists.

They could not find any patterns among genetic variants that could be used to meaningfully predict or identify a person's sexual orientation or behaviour. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. Other studies have linked sexual orientation with environmental factors such as hormone exposure before birth and having older brothers.

Scientists could not find any patterns among genetic variants that could be used to meaningfully predict sexual orientation. Those who care about reason and liberty need to begin preparing a position which defends scientific freedom, as well as equal rights for all, regardless of the content of their genome. Thursday 29 AugustUK.

Unsubscribe anytime. Yet some researchers question whether the analysis, which looked at genes associated with sexual activity rather than attraction, can draw any real conclusions about sexual orientation. A more detailed questionnaire that looks at more aspects of scientist find that there is no gay gene and environmental influences would allow the researchers to better pinpoint the roots of attraction.

By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. He sees the new paper as an analysis of risky behavior or openness to experience, noting that participants who engaged in at least one same-sex experience were also more likely to report having smoked marijuana and having more sexual partners overall. Charles has visited every continent on Earth, drinking rancid yak butter tea in Lhasa, snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos and even climbing an iceberg in Antarctica.

There needs to be a strident response against both blank-slatists on the anti-science Left, and right-wing bigots who might seek to misuse our new understanding of the genetic underpinnings of human behaviour to advance their own political agenda. They relied on genetic data from the UK Biobank a long-term health and genetics study running in the United Kingdom and 23andMe, as well as responses to surveys asking questions about sexual identity, attraction, fantasies and behavior.

August 29, 4 min read. No individual gene alone makes a person gay, lesbian or bisexual ; instead, thousands of genes likely influence sexual orientation, a massive new study of the genomes of nearly half a million people suggests. Quillette Logan Chipkin. Forbes carried an equally confused piece. The authors concluded that genetics can explain between 8 percent and 25 percent of the variation in same-sex sexual behaviour.

The researchers found five single points in the genome that seemed to be common among people who had had at least one same-sex experience.