Biology Works Against Incest Through Genetic Differences

Think of your body like a super detective that helps you pick the right partner!

It might seem like we like people who are like us, but our bodies actually prefer people who are genetically different.

This is because of special genes called MHC.

When we smell someone or are close to them, our body can sense if their MHC genes are too similar to ours.

If they are too similar, it's like our body saying, 'Nope, not a good match for having kids!'

This is to make sure that any children we have will be stronger and healthier, with better defense systems against sickness.

So, even if you think someone is great, a weird feeling about their smell or a lack of chemistry might be your body's way of telling you about genetic differences.

There's also a thing called the Westermarck effect, which means if you grow up with someone, you usually don't feel romantically attracted to them, which also helps avoid problems.