In a perfect world, evolution would vote against all of the disease and harmful genes that ever existed in humans and other life-forms. After millions of years of selective processes geared toward survival, why is surviving still such a struggle? Dr. Sharon Moalem’s Survival of the Sickest deals entirely with the study of evolution and a variety of theories related to how humans, genes, microbes, viruses, and animals have evolved to survive through mutation and natural selection. Each chapter begins with anecdotes that lead into a well-researched collection of evidence and theories related to different aspects of evolution. First, Dr. Moalem covered the history of hemochromatosis, a disease where too much iron builds up in the blood of the
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Theories were proposed related to epigenetics and how external environmental triggers could cause certain genes to be duplicated, changed, or shut off entirely to give the next generation a survival advantage.
Recently, scientists have discovered how those external factors related to epigenetics can affect fetuses, through experiments where it was supported that pregnant mothers who experienced famine during pregnancy passed on the living memory of it for three generations. Those children were born with genes that encouraged them to store as much food as they could, and were much more likely to be overweight as they got older (Dovey, 2014).
The aquatic ape theory described in detail a relatively new and not yet widely accepted reason for how and why humans stand upright instead of on all fours like most animals. Typically, apes were thought to become bipedal to be able to see over the high grasses of the savanna. In this new perspective offered by the novel, apes needed to be bipedal to be able to navigate in and out of water to give birth in water but escape from predators by rushing to land, equally as valid as the original savanna …show more content…
there is common ancestry among all organisms.
There will always be many theories with corresponding evidence that all are very encouraging. The only way to get the entire picture is to keep challenging ideas to understand more and use that to our advantage for survival and to further medicine. Outside of the science realm, these ideas are important to comprehend because they tell a story related to the history of life and humankind. Genes are a representation of not only an organism’s future, but its entire ancestry and origins, including its connections to other life-forms.
Big Idea #1 is based on evolution, which is also the core focus of research throughout the entire novel. Every page correlates with how and why evolution even occurs! Big idea #2 relates to how organisms get the energy for homeostasis, which leads back to the aquatic ape theory, and how early mammals got the energy to become bipedal and develop quicker, sharper brains. #3 has to do with exchanging information with the environment. Bigger brains mean we can “communicate” and analyze our environment better than microbes can, the key to ever possibly controlling evolution for our continued survival. Big Idea #4 focuses on interaction, which also points to the necessity for mankind to work with nature instead of fighting against
Theories were proposed related to epigenetics and how external environmental triggers could cause certain genes to be duplicated, changed, or shut off entirely to give the next generation a survival advantage.
Recently, scientists have discovered how those external factors related to epigenetics can affect fetuses, through experiments where it was supported that pregnant mothers who experienced famine during pregnancy passed on the living memory of it for three generations. Those children were born with genes that encouraged them to store as much food as they could, and were much more likely to be overweight as they got older (Dovey, 2014).
The aquatic ape theory described in detail a relatively new and not yet widely accepted reason for how and why humans stand upright instead of on all fours like most animals. Typically, apes were thought to become bipedal to be able to see over the high grasses of the savanna. In this new perspective offered by the novel, apes needed to be bipedal to be able to navigate in and out of water to give birth in water but escape from predators by rushing to land, equally as valid as the original savanna …show more content…
there is common ancestry among all organisms.
There will always be many theories with corresponding evidence that all are very encouraging. The only way to get the entire picture is to keep challenging ideas to understand more and use that to our advantage for survival and to further medicine. Outside of the science realm, these ideas are important to comprehend because they tell a story related to the history of life and humankind. Genes are a representation of not only an organism’s future, but its entire ancestry and origins, including its connections to other life-forms.
Big Idea #1 is based on evolution, which is also the core focus of research throughout the entire novel. Every page correlates with how and why evolution even occurs! Big idea #2 relates to how organisms get the energy for homeostasis, which leads back to the aquatic ape theory, and how early mammals got the energy to become bipedal and develop quicker, sharper brains. #3 has to do with exchanging information with the environment. Bigger brains mean we can “communicate” and analyze our environment better than microbes can, the key to ever possibly controlling evolution for our continued survival. Big Idea #4 focuses on interaction, which also points to the necessity for mankind to work with nature instead of fighting against