Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, 2235 6th Street NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
Med Hypotheses. 2011 Mar;76(3):384-7. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2010.10.048. Epub 2010 Nov 20.
Unlike members of other species that are genetically wired to be attracted to their sexual partners, humans learn the cues that guide them in choosing their sexual partners and that trigger sexual arousal. Genetically wired mechanisms must be directing the acquisition of those cues and organizing them in information structures that underlie human sexual behavior. Individual sexuality is a combination of the genetic mechanisms and information learned through personal experiences. This article focuses on the roots of human sexuality - on genetically embedded mechanisms, common to all humans, around which the wide variety of sexual behaviors is built. It proposes a model that defines the basic mechanisms and their role in developing individual sexuality. It is suggested that three brain areas host the roots of human sexuality: the auditory area, which provides stimuli that serve as cues for the identification of a mate; an emotional area, which provides cues for emotional arousal; and a corporal area, which controls the physiological expressions of arousal. The amygdala is a main candidate for the emotional area, and the hypothalamus for the corporal area, but other areas may also provide those inputs. Experimental observations that support this model are discussed, and an outline of additional experiments for validating the model is proposed. If validated, the model would provide knowledge that fills a gap in the understanding of human sexuality - knowledge that would benefit individuals, the medical profession, and society as a whole.
与其他物种的成员不同，它们在基因上被设计为对性伴侣产生吸引力，人类则通过学习指导他们选择性伴侣的线索，并引发性唤起。基因布线机制必须指导这些线索的获取，并将其组织成信息结构，这些结构是人类性行为的基础。个体的性行为是遗传机制和通过个人经验学习的信息的组合。本文专注于人类性行为的根源——所有人类共有的基因嵌入机制，这些机制构建了各种各样的性行为。本文提出了一个模型，定义了基本机制及其在发展个体性行为中的作用。该模型提出，三个大脑区域是人类性行为的根源：听觉区域，提供作为伴侣识别线索的刺激；情感区域，提供情感唤起的线索；以及身体区域，控制唤起的生理表达。杏仁核是情感区域的主要候选者，而下丘脑是身体区域的主要候选者，但其他区域也可能提供这些输入。讨论了支持该模型的实验观察结果，并提出了验证该模型的额外实验的大纲。如果得到验证，该模型将提供填补人类性行为理解空白的知识——这将使个人、医疗专业人员和整个社会受益。
