Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Adolescents, Hamsters and Sex.


  I learn something new about our bodies each day! For instance, today I discovered that our human physiology is quite similar to that of a Hamster: this interesting fact surfaced when reading a stimulating article which raises the possibility that, for young male Hamsters at least, sex during adolescence can have a lasting negative effect on the body and mood well into adulthood.

It is now becoming more clear that the developing brain remains “plastic” well into the third decade of life, and so it can be vulnerable to permanent changes as a result of negative impacts during this time. That sex can be seen to be negative may seem odd to many people who think that sex sells everything, but there is no doubt that it can be a very complex emotional and physical event in the life of an individual when their nervous system is in a state of continuing evolution.

But is appears that adolescent sex in our furry friends can have the following effects:

  • Increased signs of depressive like behaviors
  • Lower body mass
  • Smaller reproductive tissue
  • Changes to cells in the brain

This would appear to suggest that for some sexually active “teenage” Hamsters, sex can be a serious stressor. 

Whilst there is a real temptation to smile at the extrapolation of teenage Hamster sex to adolescent humans having sex, there is a serious side to the findings. The teenage years are a time when the nervous system is developing and changing very rapidly and “There is a possibility that environmental experiences and signals could have amplified effects if they occur before the nervous system has settled down into adulthood”, according to co-author Zachary Weil of Ohio State’s Department of Neuroscience in a paper delivered to the November meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

Definitely food for thought.

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9 comments:

Steph said...

Some great reads here!! Very interesting! I'm following!!

Carlos said...

Very interesting conclusion. Good job

Tim Links said...

Very informative! I'm enjoying reading the posts here. Now following! :D

Intelligence said...

I cannot wait to start following this blog...keep it up!

Mariodacatsmom said...

you have a very interesting blog and I'm following now. I've started a blog on Parkinson's Disease, as both my husband and I have it. Would love to have you stop by and leave me an honest comment about what you think. It's written from the heart - we are not doctors - just lay people writing about our personal experience with the disease and it's progression.

Tanya Sharpe Horat said...

Thanks for the blog--you have some interesting posts and I look forward to following.

I find it fascinating how many physical and emotional benefits result from some VERY old principles and guidelines (a.k.a. the Bible)

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Hi Duncan, you are my namesake and you have a highly interesting blog! Greetings from Malaysia!

Duncan In Kuantan

Lemone said...

I knew teenage sex is such a bad idea! As a teen-ager I'm glad and proud I haven't had one. Hehe. Great job with this one. I'm on your blog's tail now. ^_^

Yomi said...

Is there a variable in this study? I mean, did the male hamsters have a flock of females? or was it a pretty monogamous setting?
great blog by the way!