Unlocked Secrets

 

Why Are Some People Left-handed?

 

Have you ever wondered why some people are left-handed? In fact, only about 13 per cent of the world’s population are left-handed people. Are you one of them?

Recent study on genetics has been shedding light on the subject. It involves a special gene called LRRTM1, which have two manifestations, namely the D gene and the C gene. The D gene appears more often in our population and promotes right-handedness, while people with the C gene have a much higher propensity to become left-handed. Hence, if your parents are left-handed, it is likely that the C gene has been passed onto you and you are a left-hander too.

If you are a right-hander, you may not have thought of some issues that left-handers face in many everyday situations. Ordinary items such as scissors, cutters, can openers and computer mice, are designed and produced for right-handed people. This makes the life of left-handers a bit more complicated and sometimes dangerous. However, there are claims that left-handers are more creative and better in sports. The left-handers have a tendency to tap deeper into the right side of their brains because of their frequent use of left hands, which control creativity and spatial awareness. Since the brain is far too complex for us to fully understand, a lot more research effort is warranted to crack the code.

 

JPC Monthly Newsletter
 
Editor: Police Public Relations Branch, 11/F Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, No. 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, HK.
 
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JPC homepage: http://www.hkpjpc.org.hk
   
Police homepage: http://www.police.gov.hk

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