London: Ladies, how irresistible you are
to men lies in your perspiration or looks, for a new study has
revealed that clues to the genetic make-up of any woman are in
her sweat or appearance.
Scientists have claimed that the secrets of attraction
are hidden in the immune system genes that women inherit from
their parents and clues to this are contained in her sweat or
appearance, the `Daily Mail` reported.
They have based their findings on an analysis of the
DNA of 150 students from the University of Western Australia.
The subjects, including would-be doctors and engineers, filled
in detailed questionnaire about their love lives.
Their DNA was scrutinised for variation in genes known
to influence the immune system. The more diverse these genes,
the stronger a person`s defence against disease, the findings
have revealed.
The results of the genetic tests were then matched up
with the survey answers. This showed that the women with the
most varied major histocompatibility (MHC) genes, had the most
sexual partners.
However, the scientists can`t be certain why a woman`s
immune system affects her success with men. They aren`t clear
whether her genes make her irresistible to the opposite sex --
or whether she finds them irresistible.
"It is possible that MHCdiverse women have more sexual
partners because they actively seek more partners, rather than
because males prefer diverse partners," the scientists said.
A third possibility is that women with strong immune
systems are simply more choosy about who they want to settle
down with.
"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 scientists said.
The findings have been revealed in the `Animal
Behavior` journal.
PTI
