Scientists find cleanliness gene
Scientists say they've found the gene which controls cleanliness.
Tests on mice show the Hoxb8 gene can lead to compulsive cleaning and even self-mutilation.
Researchers say a mutation of the gene could explain why some people become obsessive about washing.
The condition, known as tricotillomania, causes some people to wash themselves every few minutes or comb their hair so violently they pull it out.
The research has been carried out by a team from the University of Utah, reports The Observer.
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"The schizophrenic is drowning in the same waters in which the mystic swims with delight" -- Joseph Campbell (Mintz, 1983)
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