Science has been trying to disenchant human emotions. The tentative interpretation of emotions from the perspectives of evolution, survival, physiology, and neuroscience is nothing more than understanding the complexity of emotions so that we can go further on the road of understanding our human beings. But in time, if we can really use science to explain all emotions, it sounds as if we have become dull after knowing the truth about magic.
Differences
When the feeling comes, you will know. The feeling of being attracted is the basic instinct of being a human being. But what exactly is sexual attraction? What is it that really drags you into the whirlpool? Are they his eyes? wrist? Or is it the hair? If what really arouses your lust is a group of proteins distributed on the surface of your lover’s blood white blood cells? Sounds sexy, right.
The evidence found by the researchers suggests that part of the reason for sexual attraction may come from the similarities or differences in the immune systems between the two.
There are many explanations for the source of sexual attraction. Some people would say that sexual attraction comes from the assessment of the body of the opposite sex in terms of reproductive fitness. There are many theories to prove that women’s hip width is proof of their fertility; similarly, male body factors such as height and muscle may also demonstrate their ability to provide protection.
Of course, these explanations are oversimplified and outdated, and it is difficult to explain the details of many processes. For example, what is the evolutionary benefit of the odor of the skin on a person’s back or neck? Not only that, the explanation of sexual attraction with the teleology of reproduction completely ignores the sexual attraction between the same sex.
So when body shape characteristics can no longer explain the generation of sexual attraction, the answer may be outside of what you see. Perhaps the clue to sexual attraction lies in our sense of smell. The unique ability to sense smell is shared by mammals, reptiles, and insects.
The human olfactory system enjoys a unique privilege in the brain-it goes deeper into the brain’s gully than other sensory systems. The work of smell includes communication, protection, and, not to mention, you can guess-spouse selection.
The human olfactory system enjoys a unique privilege in the brain—compared to other sensory systems, it goes deeper into the brain’s gully. Unlike vision, hearing, and touch, the human olfactory system does not need to pass through the thalamus. . The olfactory signal is transmitted into a complex area deep in the brain through a direct pathway: the Limbic system.
The structure of the Limbic system encompasses all circuits from fear, memory to reward. Given the close connection between the sense of smell and the limbic system, it is not surprising that smell can evoke strong human emotions. Similarly, because a large number of olfactory signals do not pass through the conscious brain area first, the sense of smell is more likely to affect us at a level that is ignored by consciousness.
Is your immune system attractive enough?
Most people’s understanding of the immune system is limited to it as a protective mechanism against infection. Simply put, the immune system is a defence system where cells and proteins work together to identify and eliminate pathogens in the body.
The reason why the immune system can distinguish foreign substances from itself is based on a complex molecular «identity card»: the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). In the human body, it is usually specifically referred to as human leukocyte antigen (HLA). Almost all human cells can encode HLA genes in the MHC family. Such antigens accumulate on the surface of cells and are constantly monitored by immune cells such as T cells to ensure that they do not «mutate.»
As humans reproduce, the HLA genes in the human body will undergo reorganization. Similar to most genes in our genome, this type of genetic recombination is the key to gene diversity. Genetic diversity is approximately equal to evolutionary adaptability. Love it!
A group of studies in Dresden, Germany showed that humans have evolved a way to sense the similarity of the immune system of potential spouses based on differences in HLA composition. Although there is still some controversy, the author of this paper published in 2016 believes that spouse selection based on HLA diversity may make its offspring more resistant to infection and other diseases.
Can you smell the immune system?
An experiment on mice has proved that mice can distinguish other different MHC odours. Although the principle of how they distinguish MHC is still unknown, the most likely explanation is through the olfactory system.
Another group of studies proved the influence of different components of MHC on the microorganisms living on the skin and mucous membranes of animals. Animals with two groups of different microbial flora will produce different odours.
Other studies have also found that MHC protein can be detected in body fluids such as sweat, saliva, and urine. From this, we may think that animals can directly feel each other’s MHC through smell or taste. In view of the similarity of human HLA systems, we can reasonably assume that similar processes also occur in humans.
In 1995, a study in Switzerland was published, revealing the MHC-based spouse tendency: When the HLA composition of a man is most different from that of the female subject, the subjects rated the smell of the T-shirt worn by the man. tallest. Interestingly, the opposite is true for women who are on birth control, which is another topic.
The attraction has nothing to do with reproduction?
The theory of attraction of the immune system is limited to its main purpose of reproduction. This statement obviously ignores the attraction of the same sex. If the attraction of differences in the immune system depends only on the diversity of HLA and the adaptability of offspring, then this theory cannot explain the sexual attraction between homosexuals. The above Dresden study clearly excluded homosexual subjects.
Let us return to the smell attraction theory. A study found that people are more inclined to choose the smell of people with similar sexual orientations. Specifically, compared with heterosexual men, homosexual men have a more obvious preference for the smell of heterosexual women and other homosexual men. This research shows some obvious preferences of specific groups, although they cannot be linked to sexual orientation.
Regardless of sexual orientation, it is entirely possible for anyone with HLA differences to be attracted, which further weakens the convincing power of the theory of reproduction. Obviously, the lack of scientific understanding of homosexuality also has a significant impact on explanatory attraction.
The attraction between humans is undoubtedly multifaceted and complicated. The motivation that drives people to want and desire may also be a mixture of turbidity and different factors. Research has almost proved that humans (and other mammals) can distinguish their HLA and MHC components that differ from them, and show a clear preference for them.
Probably because of this, a lot of dating and dating software have appeared-they are mainly based on genetic makeup to match the gimmicks of spouses. However, this type of evidence is not enough to show that genes alone can determine whether two people agree and stay together.
In the end, the study of HLA differences is not only thought-provoking, but also further clarifies the process of how we generate attraction. However, this alone cannot explain the complex picture of sexual attraction. With deeper and more comprehensive exploration and research, we may be able to discover the role of HLA diversity in sexual attraction.
reference: elemental.medium.com/how-your-immune-system-makes-you-sexually-attractive-d5aa8337ab8c