Summary Of Survival Of The Sickest
"Why would genes that make people sick still be in the gene pool after millions of years?" Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem with Jonathan Prince explains how diseases have a purpose in human survival, they are the tools that aided the human evolutionary process. The diseases were a contribution to the human evolutionary process. A collection of different cases and scientific research support the authors' hypothesis on the connection between certain diseases that plague us in modern times and the adaptability of our ancestors in contact with these diseases. The book begins with the introduction of a man named Aram Gordon. He was diagnosed with hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis is, “a hereditary disease that disrupts the way the
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When the human body is under attack, the immune system deploys natural chelators-proteins that lock up iron molecules and take them out of circulation. Although excess iron is distributed through the body, one certain type of cell gets less than normal. That cell is a type of white blood cell called macrophages. They search for any troubles in the body and when one is located, they will try to subdue it and bring it to the lymph nodes. Iron is not only essential for us, but for many species of infectious bacteria. Normal macrophages were filled with iron which feed the bacteria resulting in their growth which are not able to access the lymph nodes to disseminate through the body. Hemochromatosis gave macrophages the advantage to successfully isolate and starve the infectious agents to death. This made them more effective against deadly pathogens like those which cause tuberculosis and bubonic plague. It appeared as humans had evolved to fend off diseases better than any other species. Shown in the beginning, Dr. Sharon made observations based on his experiences and research. In 1952, Eugene D. Weinberg conducted a experiment to test what could invalidate the affectivity of a antibiotic. In Petri dishes were three different samples. Though placed with antibiotics one sample was overflowing with bacteria and this sample was iron. The iron had successfully neutralized the antibiotic. So much was learned from this information. Today, we understand much more about the complex connection and history between bodies, iron, infection, and
When the human body is under attack, the immune system deploys natural chelators-proteins that lock up iron molecules and take them out of circulation. Although excess iron is distributed through the body, one certain type of cell gets less than normal. That cell is a type of white blood cell called macrophages. They search for any troubles in the body and when one is located, they will try to subdue it and bring it to the lymph nodes. Iron is not only essential for us, but for many species of infectious bacteria. Normal macrophages were filled with iron which feed the bacteria resulting in their growth which are not able to access the lymph nodes to disseminate through the body. Hemochromatosis gave macrophages the advantage to successfully isolate and starve the infectious agents to death. This made them more effective against deadly pathogens like those which cause tuberculosis and bubonic plague. It appeared as humans had evolved to fend off diseases better than any other species. Shown in the beginning, Dr. Sharon made observations based on his experiences and research. In 1952, Eugene D. Weinberg conducted a experiment to test what could invalidate the affectivity of a antibiotic. In Petri dishes were three different samples. Though placed with antibiotics one sample was overflowing with bacteria and this sample was iron. The iron had successfully neutralized the antibiotic. So much was learned from this information. Today, we understand much more about the complex connection and history between bodies, iron, infection, and