In Chapter 3 on page 69, Dr. Moalem writes "there is mounting evidence that where our ancestors came from, how they adapted to manage their environment, and where we live today all combine to have a significant impact on our health." He also states "that specific diseases are more prevalent in specific population groups." Knowing this, much research has been done to further explore correlations between race and disease and why some diseases seem to be more common in particular races. This relates to Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life. Certain diseases have developed in different races depending on their migration and environments in which they chose to live in.
Research about your family history and the migration that they have made. Then, use this research to determine what diseases are most common for you ethnicity and why these diseases are prominent as a result of evolution. Lastly, research to see if there is a correlation between certain physical traits that may be attributed to your race and the diseases that are most common due to evolution.
(Dana Morgan, Dmorgan4@students.d125.org)
My family migrated to the US from India. Some diseases common for Indians include hypertension and Type 1 diabetes. (Prevalence of common disease-associated variants in Asian Indians) Hypertension is prominent in Indian populations as a result of evolution. (Evolution of blood pressure regulation in humans) In hot areas, like India, sweating caused people to have low levels of salt. Hypertension evolved to help people maintain their body’s salt concentration. Type 1 diabetes is absent in other Asian populations but present in those of European origin. This suggests that people of European origin migrated to India during the course of its history, bringing with them the disease. According to Moalem, diabetes is prominent as a result of evolution. He says, “Diabetes may have helped our European ancestors survive the sudden cold of the Younger Dryas.” (Survival of the Sickest, page 44)
ReplyDeleteOne physical trait attributed to Indians is their ability to taste PTC or their bitter taste perception and acceptance of foods containing increased amounts of spices. (Prevalence of common disease-associated variants in Asian Indians)
This trait is evolutionarily beneficial to Indians, especially in warmer climates, because spices have powerful microbial actions that prevent disease.
` I agree with Dana that this topic relates to Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life. Evolution led to the prominence of hypertension, diabetes, and ability to taste PTC in India. This topic also relates to our first unit in AP Bio class this year. People with hypertension or the ability to taste PTC were considered fit and were able to survive and reproduce through natural selection.
(Ilakkiya Thanigaivelan, ithanig3@students.d125.org)
My mother’s side of the family is Caucasian. The most common genetic diseases for Caucasians are Cystic Fibrosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Phenylalanine Hydroxylase Deficiency to name a few. My father’s side comes from both Portugal and China. A common disease characteristic to certain regions of Portugal is Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy. The most common diseases for persons of Chinese or Asian descent are Hb Beta Chain-related Hemoglobinopathy (examples are Beta Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease), and also some of the common Caucasian diseases: Cystic Fibrosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Phenylalanine Hydroxylase Deficiency.
ReplyDeleteFamilial amyloidotic polyneuropathy is especially interesting by an evolutionary standpoint because it occurs in the coastal regions of Portugal, namely Póvoa do Varzim and Vila do Conde. The disease is caused by a mutated TTR gene that leaves deposits of amyloid fibrils, causing nerve lesions. The TTR gene is associated with synthesizing the Transthyretin protein, which is a carrier of vitamin A. Vitamin A is fat soluble and because the coast of Portugal is historically a region characterized by fishing communities, the people would have had plenty of vitamin A, found in food like fish. Perhaps the mutated TTR gene actually helped regulate the large amounts of vitamin A taken in by the people of the coastal regions, keeping them healthy currently but causing neuropathy later in life (Familiar amyloidotic polyneuropathy shows symptoms around the age of 30) (Sousa, Coelho, Barros, Sequeiros, 1995). This shows the same evolutionary thinking of Dr. Moalem: “Why would you take a pill that was guaranteed to kill you in forty years? Because it will save you tomorrow.”
In people of Asian descent, physical traits such as more sweat glands and less bodily hair are attributed to natural selection for a mutation in the EDAR gene. More sweat glands and less body hair would have been advantageous because of the hot and humid environment in China 35,000 years ago (Wade, 2013).
Sources:
Wade, N. (n.d.). (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/science/studying-recent-human-evolution-at-the-genetic-level.html?_r=0
Sousa, A., Coelho, T., Barros, J., & Sequeiros, J. (n.d.). Genetic epidemiology of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (fap)-type i in póvoa do varzim and vila do conde (north of portugal). (1995). American Journal of Medical Genetics, 60(6), 512-521. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajmg.1320600606/abstract
(Katelyn Noronha, knoronh4@students.d125.org)