Homosexuality Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Homosexuality For years scientists have been attempting to ascertain whether or not homosexual behavior can be linked to a biological catalyst. From Alfred Kinsey's revolutionary survey in 1947 to the current media upheaval about a prospective "gay gene," the desire to pinpoint a cause for the personalities and behaviors associated with homosexuality has reached new plateaux. The scientific community is constantly developing more and more evidence to suggest that there may well be a neurological explanation for homosexuality. Although historical studies and purposed treatments have ranged from group counseling to shock therapy, recent research suggests that exposure to an abnormally high or low amount of certain hormones could potentially affect sexual behavior. Just as there is no gene for heterosexuality, there can be no "gay gene." Genes are not responsible for an individual's actions; they simply guide the "sequence of a particular protein that may influence behavior" ( 1 ). However, it is possible that there is a genetic factor which is responsible for a protein synthesis resulting in particular sex hormone levels (namely testosterone and estrogen) which could augment certain sex-typical characteristics, and might explain sexual behavior ( 1 ). This paper will discuss various studies which examine the effects of male and female hormones in an attempt to develop a potential correlation between biological foundations and homosexual behavior. According to Fred Delcomyn (2), mammals naturally develop as females "in the absence of sex hormones." Without the intervention of androgens (testicular hormones, specifically testosterone), all mammals develop in utero as female. Not only are the genitals identical in early fe... ...r that personality and behavior are more than simple chemical reactions. While prenatal over-androgenization or estrogenization could potentially be one of the many underlying causes of homosexuality, this has only been shown in certain cases, largely those in which chemical abnormalities have caused effeminate or masculinizing behavioral (and in some cases physical) traits. The studies discussed herein cannot account for the physiological characteristics of every member of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. It is also possible that the amounts of hormones studied are not abnormal, but fall somewhere in the spectrum of human sexuality. Internet Sources: 2. Delcomyn, Fred. Foundations of Neurobiology. New York: W.H. Freeman & Co. 1998 http://salmon.psy.plym.ac.uk/year1/Sexdiff.htm http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sg7/eng105/students/Beth.htm