Name: Aldana Vercellone
Article: Gay brothers may hold genetic clues.
Source: Msnbc.com
Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21309724/
In the search of an explanation for homosexuality, about one thousand pairs of gay brothes are taking part in the largest study in order to look for clues for their sexual orientation in genes.
The majority of families in which two or more members are homosexual are considered to build a gene which affects the sexuality of its members, and homosexuality may be viewed as a genetic trait like height or hair colour.
In a study published in 1993, it was found that gay brothers shared genetic markers in a region of the X-chromosome, which men inherit from their mothers. The location of such markers in that region imply the influence of genes on sexual orientation. That is why, the study being held nowadays rely on blood and saliva samples in the search for clues of the "gay gene".
On the one hand, there is a strong belief in homosexuality due to genetic roots, but on the other hand, some scientists suspect that there isn't a gene causing it, but they believe that there may be several genes, which, in interaction with non-genetic factors like social and psychological influence, determine a person's sexual orientation.
The results of this study are feared by the majority of gays due to the fact that the identification of such a gene, can lead to discrimation, prenatal testing and even abortions to eliminate homosexuals.
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