Biological Contributions To Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is one of the largest sex differences in humans. While the vast majority of the population is heterosexual, there is a small portion of people that are bisexual and heterosexual, who are attracted to the same sex. According to Freberg (2015), sexual orientation is “a stable pattern of attraction to members of a particular sex (p.344).” In this research paper, I will briefly discuss the biological contributions to sexual orientation. We will first discuss the contributions of hormones to an individual’s orientation. Then after, we will highlight the brain’s structure with its linkage to sexual orientation. Lastly, we will see the role of genetics with sexual orientation. Understanding the biological contributions to sexual orientation will help reader’s have an in depth knowledge to its role in a individual’s development. The early exposure of hormones in animals and humans influences the adult sexual behavior. According to Freberg (2015), SDN-POA is “a nucleus in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus that is larger in male rats than in female rats (p.339).” The exposure to testosterone during the critical period is the reason for this sexual dimorphism. According to Mataszczyk et al. (1988), “Rats exposed to low testosterone are less likely to engage in sexual behavior with females and more likely to engage in sexual behaviors …show more content…
These elements interact and produce a typical pattern of sexual orientation towards the opposite sex. But, some exceptions do exist, like bisexuality and homosexuality, which seem to be more frequent in males than females. The types of studies that I have shown points towards males showing more sexual dimorphic activity than females. The understanding of biological contributions to one’s sexual orientation is necessary of the readers to know its role in human