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No Boyfriends? Blame Your Parents Genes

by Trilok Kapur on Feb 19 2010 7:09 PM

If you are wondering why you're always single while your friends move from man to man? Well, a new study shows it might be all your parents' fault.

According to University of Western Australia researchers, some of attraction secrets are apparently hidden in certain immune system genes inherited from our parents.

The scientists, who studied the DNA of almost 150 university students, found that a woman's appearance or sweat contains clues to the genetic make-up of her immune system, reports The Telegraph. Boffins reported in the journal Animal Behavior the finding that the more varied the genes were the more boyfriends a woman was likely to have.

The scientists said they couldn't be certain why a woman's immune system affected her success with men. The scientists were also unclear whether her genes make her irresistible to the opposite sex - or whether she finds them irresistible.

However, through the study boffins could explain why some women remain unlucky in love.

In the study, participants were asked to provide a DNA sample as well as completing a detailed questionnaire about their love lives.

Then the DNA was scrutinized for variations in genes known to influence the immune system, where the more diverse these genes, the stronger a person's defense against disease.

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The results of the test were then compared to the survey.

The Daily Mail reported, this showed that the women with the most varied major histocompatibility (MHC) genes, had the most sexual partners.

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"None of these explanations are mutually exclusive and, regardless of the underlying mechanism, the effect of MHC diversity is intriguing and deserves further investigation," the research team concluded.

But there was no link between a man's MHC genes and his success with women.

Source-ANI
TRI


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