Collection 1997

DIFERENTE IN STRUCTURA HIPOTALAMUSULUI INTRE BARBATII HOMOSEXUALI SI CEI HETEROSEXUALI

Written by Simon LeVAY on . Posted in Volume I, Nr. 4

ABSTRACT

The anterior hypothalamus of the brain participates in the regidation of male-typical sexual behavior. The volumes of four cell groups in this region (interstetial nudei of the anterior hypothalamus, INAH 1, 2, 3, and 4) were preswned in postmortem tissite from three subject groups: women, men who were presumed to be heterosexual, and homosexual men. No differences were found between the groups in the volumes of INAH 1, 2, sau 4. As has been previouslv, INAH 3 was more than twice as large in the heterosexual men as m the women. It was also, however, more than twice as large in the heterosexual men as in the homosexual men. This finding indicates that INAH is dimorphic with sexual orientation, at least in men, and suggests that sexual orientation has a biological substrate.