What catches your eye when you are looking at potential sexual partners? Maybe you just enjoy looking? Do big breasts or muscular arms turn you on? Full, luscious lips? All of us have our own particular preferences, but there is more to it than that. Women and men consciously or subconsciously look for attributes in each other that signify fertility, health and strength to ensure the survival of our genes and ultimately our race.

Let’s start with what turns a woman on when she is checking out a man. First, a deep voice: Surveys have shown that time after time women prefer men that have deeper voices. Deep vocal tones are thought to be linked to increased fertility and testosterone levels. A recent study showed that men with the deepest voices produced considerably more children than their more falsetto contemporaries. This finding helps shed light on why men have evolved lower voices than women, say researchers.

Scientists have long been aware that women identify men with deep voices as sexier and stronger. Previous studies have even shown that women show the strongest liking for low-pitched voices during the fertile peak in their menstrual cycle.

Broad shoulders: Well-defined shoulders are thought to be signs of strength and masculinity. The upper body of a male that hunts is wide, tapering to narrow hips. Men evolved these attributes to allow them to haul heavy weapons over long distances and carry home their kills. Narrow hips and muscular legs are also important for running quickly over long distances and chasing prey.

Chest: A bigger, stronger chest also adds size to shoulders and triceps, widening the top of a man’s body. The larger a man is on top, the smaller his waistline appears. A study conducted by Michael Cunningham (1990) found that women tend to prefer men with moderately broad shoulders who are of medium height and have a chest slightly larger than average, but not as large and powerful as a traditional bodybuilder’s chest.

Arms, biceps: Very cliché, but seems to be true. Big, well-defined biceps don't just demonstrate strength and power; they also show that you're taking good care of your body. And women love a man who appears strong and confident.

Broad back: A wide back is essential for a V-shaped torso.

Butts: A small, tight rear-end is the favorite of women everywhere. Why? The secret is that a tight, muscular rear is needed to make the strong forward thrusting motion needed for successful sperm transfer during sex. A man with a flabby ass has difficulty with this forward movement and tends to throw his entire body weight on a woman, making it uncomfortable for her.

An informal survey, taken of a group of women aged 29-50, revealed when meeting a man, women will scan a man’s left ring finger, smile, smell, and overall physique. The women also liked tall men. Clothing is important, too. You don’t have to be wearing a three-piece suit but no tattered or frayed clothing.

What women find attractive in other women: Lesbians are often referred to as femme or butch, or something in between, and who you are attracted to as a lesbian depends on who you are and your own personal preferences. Whether you identify yourself as a butch or femme is not just about how you look on the outside, but how you feel on the inside. A femme is someone who loves fashion, makeup and all the traditional female accessories straight females like. Butches tend to keep their hair short, wear no makeup and wouldn't be caught dead in a dress.

You’ll see a lot of femme/femme couples and a lot of butch/femme couples, but for some reason butch/butch is considered taboo. Don’t let society pressure you into telling you who you should be with. Only you know who turns you on.                                               

What men like and look for in women: Although nearly all heterosexual men will enthusiastically agree that they love the female body, which part of the body is open for discussion. However, rear-ends, boobs, and legs are top favorites.

Butts: Studies show men find rounded rear ends the most attractive. Female human buttocks differ from other primates because primate females display enlarged, protruding buttocks only when she is receptive to mating and male sexual advances. Human females, in contrast, display enlarged buttocks all the time. It is theorized this evolved because one of the main purposes of regular human sexual contact is to encourage long-term pair bonding for the successful raising of children.

Breasts: Why is there such an emphasis on breasts in our culture? Some of the theories scientists have developed may surprise you. Humans are the only primates that have sex facing each other. All other male primates sexually approach females from the rear. Human females are alone among the primates in having large breasts, even when they are not nursing. Evolutionary biologists theorize that large breasts with cleavage look like a butt! Strange as it sounds, it sort of fits: All primates are turned on by rears, except humans. Only humans have large breasts and mate face-to-face. Therefore, perhaps big breasts evolved as an imitation of buttocks.

Here's another explanation that might sound more reasonable: Larger breasts indicate adequate stores of subcutaneous fat, which is a sign of good health. Flat breasts may indicate a postmenopausal woman who is no longer able to have children and therefore not an ideal mate to have a family with.

Another interesting fact about breasts: The patch around the nipple, called the areola, has small glands that emit a scent to arouse the male brain during sexual encounters—another reason to love those breasts.

Long legs: the stairway to heaven. The more leg that’s revealed and the longer they are the better because it draws attention to what’s upstairs. When a girl reaches puberty her legs lengthen, which is a signal to males that she is sexually maturing. Teenage girls catch on to this early and start to wear high-heeled shoes and short skirts to emphasize their legs. Men like high heels because they make a woman look more sexual by making her legs seem longer, arching her back, making her butt stick out and bringing her pelvis forward. Men seem to prefer thicker legs rather than muscular legs for sexual differentiation purposes. It has been proven that a woman will unconsciously choose more revealing dresses, skirts and heels when she is in the ovulation phase of her menstrual cycle.

The majority of men do not marry supermodel thin women. Men prefer women who appear to be healthy and capable of producing healthy children as it is a man's animal instinct to prolong his DNA. It has been demonstrated that if you are "morbidly obese" or too thin, you are unhealthy, and therefore less likely to conceive, carry or give birth to a live healthy baby. However, overweight doesn't always mean unhealthy just as thin doesn't always mean healthy. A woman can be large and still be healthy. Health shows in your skin, hair, nails, eyes, and attitude.                              

A special mention goes to a category of men known as fat admirers, or FAs, who love their women large and lovely. They adore largeness and relish the feel of fat. These men consider fat more feminine and a lot more fun. One guess is that 10 percent of American men are FAs, but that's just an educated guess based on informal surveys.

What men like in other men: During the past 20 years, the gay male physical ideal has evolved from slim, young and androgynous to hard, muscular and masculine. Some believe the emphasis on a muscular physique may have crossed over from gay culture to influence mainstream culture. A survey of several gay men reported that only 7 percent listed the penis as a favorite body part.                   

Something for all of us to remember: Cleanliness is next to… Remember that bad personal hygiene is a definitely a turn-off for most people. Brush your teeth and comb your hair. Visit your dentist regularly. Go get a hairstyling. No one wants to smell your feet when you take off your socks, either. Don’t skimp on the breath mints, odor eaters, foot powder, and regular showers. Use perfume or cologne sparingly. Consider a waxing to get rid of bushy body hair. And if you want to receive the gift of oral sex, it’s time to break out your razor or get a waxing to remove excess hair in the groin area.

People formulate 90 percent of their opinion about a person in the first four minutes of meeting them. Physical attraction is decided within the first 10 seconds. Be aware of how you present yourself and make those first 10 seconds count.