Earwax dry or wet: Because of genes!

Your wet or dry hands are determined by a mutation in a single gene. This is the finding of international researchers as they study the genes of 33 populations around the world.

(Photo: VNN)

Earwax is secreted by glands called ceruminous apocrine. Dry earwax occurs in 95% of East Asians, while less than 3% of people of European and African origin have this type of earwax.

In other words, the completely dominant wet earwax in Europe and Africa.

A group of 39 scientists led by researchers at Nagasaki University discovered: the cause of this difference is the ABCC11 gene. This gene controls the behavior of a cell channel.

The cell channel controls the flow of the earwax molecule, acting as the gateway to the cell, thus affecting the type of earwax that is produced. All mutations in the ABCC11 gene can alter the structure of the cell channel.

The team thinks that the structural change of this cell channel may occur for the first time in Northeast Asia, then spread throughout Asia as well as to Native Americans and Inuit of Asian origin.

However, it is unclear why earwax has appeared. They believe that the function of earwax is to trap insects, clean the ears themselves and keep the auditory cavity out of dryness.

In addition, the link between earwax type and attractiveness is also debated because earwax is associated with body odor glands. Because apocrine glands are also found in the chest, it is suggested that better understanding of how they work can lead to clues about the mechanism of breast cancer development.

Minh Son (According to BBC)