Is Infidelity Genetic? Study suggests brain chemistry plays a role in people’s ability to commit
A new study says genes linked to drinking and gambling may be related to unfaithfulness and promiscuity. Justin Garcia, a SUNY doctoral at the State University of New York, and colleagues were studying the biological factors that may lead to the lifestyle of promiscuity and unfaithfulness. The study involved 181 particpants, all of them young adults. They questioned them of their sexual lifestyle and collected their DNA samples. Seventy- seven percent of those involved in the study admitted to a history of sexual relations. Garcia and colleagues believed the results showed that sexual behaviour was affected by genes.
The gene that was analyzed was the DRD4 gene, which is linked to other feel good behaviours. A genetic variation of DRD4 is 7R+. It was seen in their study, that 50% of people with this genetic variation admitted to being unfaithful. This was compared to the 22% of those who admitted to unfaithfulness but did not have the genetic variation. Twenty-three percent of women and twenty- six percent of men had this genetic variation. The findings are found in PloS One Journal.
The results showed that those with the genetic variation of DRD4 had a higher chance of a history of infidelity. However, individuals who did not have this genetic variation did also commit these acts of infideltiy but the study proposes that those with the genetic variation are more likely to be involved in those acts.
I find the link between biology and behaviour extremely interesting. I don’t believe moral issues should ever be be blamed on your biological make up because I believe the environment you’ve been raised in and the morals you’ve been taught determine those types of issues. I do wonder why people do certain things and maybe this could be a reason why but much more studies still need to be done.
Gene could play role in “intersex” counditions
Scientists from all over the world believe they may have found a gene mutation that leads to the cause of developing physical characteristics of the opposite sex in biologically male or female children. They believe this gene mutation may be the cause for the activation of male and female development. This was said to the news release by Dr. Harry Oster, the director of Human Genetics at NYU Medical center. Dr. Harry Oster, along with other international researchers, posted their finding in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
They were analyzing the mutations found on the MAP3K1 gene.They believe this gene may be in charge of the activation or inactivation of SRY gene activity. This could either allow or prevent intersex conditions to take place.
Intersex conditions occur when , for example, a male with an XY chromsome develops anatomically female features along with male features. Oster and his colleagues have been studying the effect of MAP3k1 for nine years. They have been following it within two families, one in France and one in New Zealand.
This is a very serious issue, and if a mutuation in a gene is the cause of intersex condition may be they could possibly find a way to detect this mutation before the child begins to develop and maybe find some way to deactivate the gene or if necessary activate the gene so the child will develop normally.
Autism Schizophrenia and chromosome 17 deletion
According to the American Journal of Human Genetics a deletion in chromosome 17 raises the chance of having an autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. The chances of one having this deletion and actually having autism or schizophrenia is 14 times more likely then someone not having the deletion.
According to studies done by David H Ledbetter, a genetics professor at Emory University, the deletion is only found in people who have an autistic spectrum disorder or schizophrenia.However, not all people who have an autistic spectrum disorder or schizophrenia have this deletion. It is seen though that those who have the deltion will automatically have some form of the disorder.
The genetic research for this involved 3 genetic databases. The first genetic database involved 15,749 people who had a an autistic spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and developmental delay. They discovered the deletion of chromosome 17 in 18 of these people.The deletion was not found in any of the healthy people.Researchers found 9 of these 18 people with the deletion. Everyone of the them had a cognitive impairment, 6 of them being autism.
In order to verify these results, two more databases were observed that contained 7,522 people that had autism or schizophrenia. They discovered 6 people with the deletion. Four of these 6 suffered from schizophrenia, while 2 suffered from an autism spectrum disorder.
Research is beginning to show that schizophrenia and autism have genetic similarities.Research has shown that deletion in chromosome 17 results in some form of an autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia. New research can be used to help in genetic testing and aid in determining autism or schizophrenia.
Feeling drunk before others, genetic
Medical Daily has just posted an article about a certain gene possibly being the reason why some people react strongly to alcohol. This gene is located on chromosome 10 and is called CYP2E1. Researchers say this gene may be the protection for some against alcoholism.
The research and study for this was completed by researchers at the University of North Carolina and Dr. Kirk Wilhelmson, a genetics professor there. The research was compiled by observing over 200 pairs of siblings who were college students and had a parent who was an alcoholic. The participants were given a mixed drink of soda and alcohol and then asked to describe how this made them feel. This showed that the gene variant CYP2E1 determined how strongly the alcohol affected them. Researchers said more work needs to be done before any treatments can be made for alcohol addiction. However, they said later on CYP2E1- like drugs could be administered to help alcoholics.
I found this article very interesting, however I do not agree with it. I believe that your tolerance towards alcohol is affected by your weight, how often you drink, how much you have drank and how quickly you have drank it. I believe much more research needs to be done before it should even be said that a gene controls how quickly you get drunk. However, if this is true I believe it”ll be very helpful for creating treatment for alcoholics.
“Thirst for excitement is hidden in your genes”
Psychological Science recently published an article on a study that attempted to see if sensation seeking is genetically determined. Scientists performed this by a new method which used a mutation on genes in the dopamine system to see if sensation seeking is predetermined. Sensation seeking is caused by the chemical neurotransmitter dopamine.
Jaime Derringer, a Phd student from the University of Minnesota, chose to use this new method. She used the DNA mutation, SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism), which causes a single letter change in the DNA. She chose 8 genes that played different parts with the chemical dopamine. She used a sample of 635 people that were involved in an addiction study. For each individual she knew the genetic information for 273 SNP’s, that were already recognized to appear in those 8 genes, and a score for how determined they were for sensation seeking.
She used this data to cut down from 273 SNP’s to 12 essential ones. These 12 were combined and showed a difference in sensation seeking under 4%. This is a large number for such a small sample size, and showed that there was a small effect.
There is not enough information about the effect genes play on behavior. However, this method was the real discovery, and can be used to see the role biology plays in behavior.I think this new method can be very essential in finding if certain behaviors are genetically inclined. However, more research needs to be done before checking everyone for mutations.
