Sperm makes females do housework after sex
Researchers have found that a special chemical which coats sperm, also causes females to do housework after sex… in fruit flies.Boffins say the 'sex peptide' inhibits the female's usual afternoon siesta and compels her into an intense period of foraging activity.
They made the discovery when comparing the sleeping patterns between virgin and mated female fruit flies. Sexually active females were observed to be much more active and busy for up to eight days after sex.
Professor Elwyn Isaac from the University of Leeds thinks the research could lead to a better understanding of chemicals effect on sleep patterns and treatments for disorders like narcolepsy.
Unfortunately for any male chauvinists inspired by our headline, they are not trying to produce the same effect in humans.
"We noted that after mating, females still slept deeply at night, but ditched the usual siesta in favour of extra foraging and searching for places to lay her eggs," said Professor Elwyn Isaac.
"This behaviour lasts for around eight days – and our research findings suggest that this change is not by choice.
"If we can work out exactly how this natural molecular switch can disrupt sleep behaviour, we may be able to apply this knowledge to neurological disorders relating to human sleep such as narcolepsy, which we think is caused by a fault in the neuropeptide signalling pathway in the brain."
LINKS
University of Leeds
"This behaviour lasts for around eight days – and our research findings suggest that this change is not by choice.
"If we can work out exactly how this natural molecular switch can disrupt sleep behaviour, we may be able to apply this knowledge to neurological disorders relating to human sleep such as narcolepsy, which we think is caused by a fault in the neuropeptide signalling pathway in the brain."
LINKS
University of Leeds
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