Survival of the Sickest, written by Dr. Sharon Moalem provides a fascinating glimpse into the idea that modern day human diseases that afflict us actually have a significant role in the selection and existence of our ancestors. Before reading this book, I was used to thinking of diseases as disorders that adversely affect a person. While this may be the case for most individuals, Moalem explained in his book that that there’s an underlying connection between various diseases and longevity of a species. He explained how these diseases helped fight against more life threatening situations such as the Bubonic Plague, malaria, and the ice age. Most importantly, I learned that evolution did not necessarily favor adaptations that made us better,
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Somehow millions of humans have evolved with a genetic trait that is likely to cause problems when they eat something that is most common to their diet. It turns out that there are some benefits to G6PD deficiency for this to be possible. Biologist scientist J. B. S. Haldane proposed in his studies that different environments impose different evolutionary pressures that help the species to survive. In this part of the world, malaria is a threat to human survival. When a person with favism have red blood cells that are more fragile and hostile, turning them into an unfriendly environment for the malaria parasite to thrive. Thus, malarial parasites find the red blood cells of people with favism not to their liking, allowing the people with protection against malaria, a life threatening disease.
Further investigation showed that G6PG deficiency is carried on by the X chromosome. Thus, when a man has a mutated G6PG gene on his only X chromosome, he would not be able to produce enough of the G6PG to avoid favism, but enough to avoid malaria. But when a woman has only one G6PG deficient gene on his two X chromosome, she would have some red blood cells that have normal amount of G6PG gene and some won’t (producing enough G6PG to avoid both favism and …show more content…
There are two major types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Commonly called as juvenile diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Although there’s no cure, Type 1 diabetes can be treated with daily doses of insulin, constant attention to blood sugar levels, good diet, and exercise. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose). Like Type 1, Type 2 diabetes can be managed through a combination of careful diet, exercise, as well as weight loss, and medications. Symptoms includes high blood pressure, lots of sugar content in urine, and rapid dehydration. In addition, diabetes increases the risk of getting heart, eye, kidney, foot, and skin problems.
One of the first known mention of diabetes symptoms is revealed by Chinese physicians, who noticed that diabetics’ urine smells sweet. In fact, the full name of the disease, diabetes mellitus, literally means “passing through honey sweet.” Also, this illness is quite common as around 171 million people have diabetes. Through researches and experiments, scientists found out that diabetes may have once been used to help our ancestors survive in cold
Somehow millions of humans have evolved with a genetic trait that is likely to cause problems when they eat something that is most common to their diet. It turns out that there are some benefits to G6PD deficiency for this to be possible. Biologist scientist J. B. S. Haldane proposed in his studies that different environments impose different evolutionary pressures that help the species to survive. In this part of the world, malaria is a threat to human survival. When a person with favism have red blood cells that are more fragile and hostile, turning them into an unfriendly environment for the malaria parasite to thrive. Thus, malarial parasites find the red blood cells of people with favism not to their liking, allowing the people with protection against malaria, a life threatening disease.
Further investigation showed that G6PG deficiency is carried on by the X chromosome. Thus, when a man has a mutated G6PG gene on his only X chromosome, he would not be able to produce enough of the G6PG to avoid favism, but enough to avoid malaria. But when a woman has only one G6PG deficient gene on his two X chromosome, she would have some red blood cells that have normal amount of G6PG gene and some won’t (producing enough G6PG to avoid both favism and …show more content…
There are two major types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Commonly called as juvenile diabetes, Type 1 diabetes is chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Although there’s no cure, Type 1 diabetes can be treated with daily doses of insulin, constant attention to blood sugar levels, good diet, and exercise. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose). Like Type 1, Type 2 diabetes can be managed through a combination of careful diet, exercise, as well as weight loss, and medications. Symptoms includes high blood pressure, lots of sugar content in urine, and rapid dehydration. In addition, diabetes increases the risk of getting heart, eye, kidney, foot, and skin problems.
One of the first known mention of diabetes symptoms is revealed by Chinese physicians, who noticed that diabetics’ urine smells sweet. In fact, the full name of the disease, diabetes mellitus, literally means “passing through honey sweet.” Also, this illness is quite common as around 171 million people have diabetes. Through researches and experiments, scientists found out that diabetes may have once been used to help our ancestors survive in cold