African scientist says being gay is caused by a worm

A new study of nearlyindividuals finds that many genes affect same-sex behavior, including newly identified candidates that may regulate smell and sex hormones.

The evolutionary paradox of

Since like all nematodes the males lack eyes, they sniff out sex-attractant odors called pheromones to find potential mates. NBC News Logo. “We cannot say what this means for human sexual orientation, but it raises the possibility that sexual preference is wired in the brain.

The gene is responsible for the development of male-specific features of cells in the body and nervous system, but the scientists only switched on those in the worms' brain cells. It seems possible that if sexual orientation is genetically wired in worms, it would be in people too.

Humans are subject to evolutionary forces just like worms. Skip to Content. Search Search. Sections U. Homosexuality may be caused by chemical modifications to DNA A new study suggests that methylation patterns in DNA may influence sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation seems to be wired into the brains of nematode worms, and tweaking this sexual wiring can result in worms attracted to members of the same sex. This olfactory obligation could explain why males have a nervous system that includes eight sensory neurons out of total nerve cells that aid in pheromone detection.

InAmerican conspiracy theorist and radio personality Alex Jones claimed that atrazine had caused a majority of frogs in the US to become homosexual, and that the US government was waging a "chemical warfare operation" to increase rates of homosexuality and decrease birth rates.

It seems possible that if sexual orientation is genetically wired in worms, it would be in people too. Male nematodes, however, must seek out a mate in order to reproduce. Profile My News Sign Out. Sign In Create your free profile.

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Worms seek same sex

Most of the transgender worms still lacked the male-specific sensory neurons, even though the fem-3 gene was activated. This way, when a lone worm spots such a feast, it doesn't have to wait around for a mate to take advantage of the nutrition and reproduce.

White suggests they relied on the four general sensory neurons for pheromone sniffing. Exclusive US Offer - try a BBC Science Focus Magazine subscription and get your first 3 issues for only $ PLUS get delivery from the UK!.

Sex change Jorgensen and his colleagues were interested in finding out how the nervous system, which is directed by genetics, affected the sexual behaviors of the worms. While the study involved only worms, Jorgensen and his colleagues considered how the results shed light on sexual attraction throughout the animal kingdom.

IE 11 is not supported. The evolutionary paradox of homosexuality Being gay no longer holds the stigma it once did, but in evolution, why does a non-reproductive trait persist? Before the brain-sex change, the hermaphrodites showed no interest in the pheromones of other hermaphrodites — members of their own sex.

[12][7] This claim goes far beyond what was reported in the. Female nematodes, however, only have four of these sensory neurons, general sensory neurons which they use for finding food and other sweet-smelling substances. The researchers activated the so-called "fem-3" gene in the brains of hermaphrodite worms.

Sensual scents While most nematode worms Caenorhabditis elegans are hermaphrodites, having both male and female sex organs, one in nematodes is a true male. The genetically altered hermaphrodites or transgender oneshowever, crawled toward the same-sex scents.

The ability to reproduce without a mate is crucial for the slender worms, which reside in the soil where it's hit or miss as to whether they come across a sporadic bacteria bloom — a meal.