Scientists have created ‘lesbian worms’ in a new development that some are suggesting could shed light on the nature vs nurture debate over sexuality “The conclusion is that sexual attraction is wired into brain circuits common to both sexes of worms, and is not caused solely by extra nerve cells added to the male or female brain,” says biologist Erik Jorgensen The ‘lesbian worms’ line is a bit of red herring. There aren’t true females in the C. elegans nematodes used, only hermaphrodites and (rare) true males. “A hermaphrodite makes both eggs and sperm,” says Jorgensen. They also took hermaphrodite worms and turned on the genes that determine maleness, these then became the famous ‘lesbian worms’, chasing after other hermaphrodites. Jorgensen calls hermaphrodites “females” because they reproduce independently. |
I'm a bit confused how hermaphrodites can be lesbians, and why the fact that they "reproduce independently" is justification for labeling them females, but I still found this to be interesting.
