opposites attract

A scientific investigation led by Professor Maria da Graça Bicalho, head of the Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility Laboratory in University of Parana, Brazil discovered that humans are more attracted to the opposite sex that have a genome that is diverse from their own.

The scientists have decided that the features that make the people attracted to each other are different animalist features like odour and sometimes physical characteristics eg facial structure. The scientists are corresponding their findings of animal’s attraction to the opposite sex with diverse differences in major histocompatability components (MHC) to the opposite and comparing these results to humans. MHC is a protein that helps the immune system with recognising lymphocytes and antigens, transferring his information so that the white blood cells don’t attack substances that help the body, so if the offspring has a diverse MHC the body is able to determine more foreign substances and so the immune system will be stronger.

Scientists decided that this trend was a subconscious thought that their offspring genetically different. Genetic variability does insure that the population does continue into the future, “This was likely to be an evolutionary strategy to ensure healthy reproduction because genetic variability is an advantage for offspring’ 1. The variation is an advantage for the population because:
- The more genetically diverse the organism the more likely the offspring will be immune to diseases due to the immune system especially the MHC being able to recognise more diverse substances,
- If a change occurs in the environment the genetically variability could possibly be the one factor that can let the population survive the changes.
- Limits the chance of endogamy (mating among relatives), which can damage an offspring by decreasing the diversity and increasing the chances of a mutation.

The scientists intend to use this research to understand conception, fertility, gestational failures, with the scientists believing that ‘this discovery has an important role to play in ensuring healthy reproduction, by helping to ensure that children are born with a strong immune system better able to cope with infection.”2.

Reference:
1.” Opposites attract in human search for mate”
Kylie MacLellan (May 24, 2009)
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLL655606

2. ‘Opposites attract: how genetics influence humans to choose their mates”
Science daily, (May 25, 2009) European Society of Human Genetics