It demonstrates how the environment of our ancestors and the medical conditions of their time that had helped them in their struggle for survival affects our genes and how we live our lives. Furthermore, Survival of the Sickest provides the reader with an understanding that evolution does not necessarily promote traits that make us stronger;it promotes traits that help us survive, even if they may become a problem in the future. In his book, Dr. Moalem establishes that the relationship between humans and diseases is not always negative, and the diseases that may be taking lives in the present, may have saved lives in the past. Understanding the nature of diseases and how they may have been beneficial to humanity can provide future research potential, such as developing ways to limit bacterial access to iron in order to combat infections or learning new ways to deal with natural occurrences from animals. Hemochromatosis, diabetes, and favism may be harmful in the modern world, however these diseases have been beneficial in the past, and will continue to be beneficial in the future, as understanding them may result in new, advanced medical practices that can save…
9) The humans could have spread more viruses through the environment causing people encountering it spread it even further. 10) An airborne strain could circle the world in a couple of days. 11) Marburg has a 24% death rate, Ebola sudan has a 50% rate, and Ebola Zaire has a 90% death rate.…
Experts are skeptical that the plague would make a good bioterror agent. […] One to six days after becoming infected with the bacteria, people would develop pneumonic plague. […] Because of the delay between being exposed […] and becoming sick, people could travel over a large area before becoming contagious and possibly infecting others (Plague occurs in U.S.). This would make it more difficult to contain the disease after infection because it is very contagions and the carriers would infect everyone they came into contact with.…
However it is a bacterial disease but it can be treated with antibiotics, and it can be prevented by treatment and prompt identification. The Black plague was used in brutal ways. As a deadly disease with a very high mortality rate, Yersinia pestis was used as a biological weapon in wars. Some war strategies included dropping fleas which is infected with the plague from airplanes.…
It is important that as we start to deal with emerging issues relating to biobiotechnology, we have some sort of basis to judge each issue on. Many philosophers have presented arguments on what is important to preserve in humans. In their minds, it is important that any biobiotechnologies that we allow to be used in society must preserve these characteristics in the human race. In this paper, I will be presenting the viewpoints of Fukuyama, Bostrom, and Janicaud, and explaining which philosopher has the best argument as to what is worth preserving in humans in today’s world.…
Some also have amplifier hosts, which is where the reservoir hosts transmits its pathogen to another animal, which can then transfer it to humans. Throughout the book, the author includes his own personal field experiences, like gorilla hunting in the Congo and netting bats in China. He tries to answer why these diseases arise when and where they do. The big question is when will the Next Big One emerge and “spillover” into humans.…
Viruses have a mind of their own, and in the years to come who knows how they will have mutated and developed. What seems like a runny nose or just the flu could develop into an immune system attacker that can kill its host in days. As society gains more information about the unknown in viruses, the more it strikes fear in their lives. It causes society to act irrationally and lock up who ever they can find to make themselves feel safe. When it comes to diseases that can kill people will break constitutional and human rights to gain a false sense of peace.…
The encounter of pathogens throughout human evolution and periods of migration results in an unfavorable relationship between the two species. As Karlsson, Kwiatkowski, and Sabeti write in their article, Natural Selection and Infectious Disease in Human Populations, it is known that the ancient relationship impacts pathogenic tendencies within humans today. In the article, the authors visit the genetics of various infectious and dangerous diseases, as well as common and less threatening diseases within the human species. They also look at geographical origin of various human pathogens, as well as a historical timeline of pathogenic introduction into humans. The authors introduce the article by discussing host genetics and their susceptibility to pathogens depending on their make up.…
Scientists are now trying harder than ever to try and find out how to prevent…
In the last century and a half, technological advancements have transformed American life at an unprecedented rate. The most significant effect these technologies have had on the U.S., and the rest of the world, is an increase of opportunity and influence. While technological achievements are often remembered for their improvements to American and global life, these same innovations have a history of bringing about a proportional amount of detriment to the world, although this comparable shift in scale often goes unnoticed. For instance, where medicines and vaccinations have become more refined and accessible, weaponized diseases and synthetic toxins have seen similar growth in their efficiency and availability. Understanding this technologically…
Hence, many people’s lives are endangered by scientific…
I learned that viruses are manipulative and speedy reproduces but I (at that current moment) did not understand how powerful the product was in order to actually do the same job as antibiotics without only killing the weaker bacteria and maybe leaving out the strong bacteria to become more resilient. Inventions like the biospleen can help save the world from many more viruses to…
In his TED talk “We can reprogram life. How do we do it wisely?” Juan Enriquez persuades the audience towards why altering lifecode is necessary and how humans have have been doing so for thousands of years through breeding. Enriquez develops his argument by providing insight on how humans have altered the mustard weed to specifically grow broccoli, cauliflower, and kale over thousands of years and now we are able to accelerate this process through genetic changes in plants but also in animals, particularly humans. Enriquez continues to explain how humans have used genetic altering (replacing specific genetic code causing disease) and how this is integrated into every human's life (genetically modified food and materials).…
For the last four nine weeks, I have been working on my MYP project. Although, it has been a chaotic year dealing with this project, it is almost over. As I was working on this project throughout this year, I have acquired a lot of new knowledge in comparison to the first day I started. I have also elevated some of my skills due to this project. Overall, this project has challenged me in a way that I have never been challenged.…
Viruses; Who is the Beholder? The greatest threat to humanity can’t be seen by the untrained eye. It could lay dormant for millions of years and evolve into the most terrifying form of itself. These infectious viruses create worldwide terror. The 2011 film Contagion by Steven Soderbergh does an incredible but also frightening job of revealing how a lethal virus would impact the Earth.…