Human sexual identity is studied

Medicine, Science & Technology Forum

ATLANTA, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Research in Atlanta may explain the interaction among the brain, physiology, and behavior that forms the biological basis of human sexual identity.

While changing sex from female to male, the highly social bluebanded goby becomes more aggressive and, at the same time, the conversion of testosterone to estrogen slows in the brain, but is unaffected in the changing gonads, according to a Center for Behavioral Neuroscience study.

The finding, which suggests the initial stages of sex change in fish are regulated in the brain, might help explain the biological basis of human sexual identity.

As do many fish species, the bluebanded goby switches sex in response to changes in its social environment.

In the study, CBN researcher and Georgia State University biology professor Matthew Grober and colleagues attempted to determine the correlation between behavior and sex hormone conversion. The researchers found dominant, sex-changing females and recently sex-changed males had lower brain aromatase levels than control females. Control males had the lowest brain aromatase levels and lower gonadal aromatase levels than all groups, except the sex-changing females.

The study is detailed in the on-line edition of Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

By United Press International.

When I took marine biology, I found it fascinating that some fish could change gender. It is a trip that they can go from producing eggs, to producing sperm in their life cycle.

I agree, Fuscia. When I first learned about hermaphroditic fish, it kind of made my head spin, but mostly out of fascination. There are 21 families of fish that do change sex, but there are other single-sex species that have started to change sex due to chemical pollutants in water containing high levels of estrogen. I found that news to be rather scary.

I am happy to learn that scientists are studying animal behaviour as a means to better understand human behaviour, especially sexual identity. When I became a bird owner, I soon discovered (this is not meant to be funny) that two of my birds are "gay," and not even the prettiest little hen could make them become less attached/attracted to each other.

There is so much humans can learn and understand about human beings by studying animals. This fish study on human sexual identity is only the latest in a whole series of other studies that have been conducted. The evidence is pointing in a direction that a lot of people don't want to admit to, or accept.