On pages 19-21, Dr. Moalem discusses how disease may do us more benefit than good. Specifically, he mentions anemia as an example of this. Dr. John Murray, a doctor working in a Somalian refugee camp, found that the population did not display the harmful effects of various infectious diseases.
Briefly describe the correlational study that Dr. Murray did on the refugees in the camp by defining the independent and dependent variables. What did he find?
Based on Dr. Murray's experience, as well as the effects of iron supplements in the Maori people, anemia could be a benefit, rather than a hindrance. Iron seems to give a boost to the harmful bacteria that can plague us, rather than helping our own bodies.
Look up the symptoms of anemia, as well as the symptoms of botulism (a disease that Dr. Moalem mentions is more likely occur in infants who receive iron supplemented formulas) and state them here. Would you rather have anemia, or contract botulism, and why? Keeping in mind Big Idea #1 (The process of evolution drives the unity and diversity of life), explain why anemia could have developed in humans over time. Why would anemia be an adaptive trait?
Carolyn Fan, cfan3@students.d125.org
During Dr. John Murray’s experiment in the refugee camps, the independent variable was whether the patients were treated with iron supplements or not. The dependent variable therefore was the overall rate of infections within the nomadic patients. Based on the results, he found that, “the rate of infection in nomads receiving the extra iron skyrocketed” (Moalem 19). Through such results, Dr. Murray was able to conclude that, “the Somali nomads weren’t withstanding these infections despite their anemia: they were withstanding these infections because of their anemia. It was iron locking in high gear” (19). Therefore, contrary to the previous notion that anemia was always a lethal condition and that iron was always a good thing, this discovery showed how even diseases were beneficial to survival at some point and situation.
ReplyDeleteTo better understand the relationships between iron and its effect on infections, we can study two diseases connected to it: anemia and botulism. Symptoms of anemia include: easy fatigue and loss of energy, unusually rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath and headache, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, pale skin, leg cramps, and insomnia (http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-anemia-symptoms). Symptoms of botulism include: difficulty swallowing or speaking, dry mouth, facial weakness on both sides of the face, blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, trouble breathing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and paralysis (http://www.mayboclinic.com/health/botulism/DS00657/DSECTION=symptomes). In regards to which disease I would rather have, based off of the symptoms and information provided by Dr. Moalem for each disease, I’d rather have anemia because the effects of iron on botulism seem to be much more fatal whereas anemia seems to be more easily regulated.
Not to mention, as Dr. Moalem also mentioned, anemia did prove to be beneficial as it most likely wouldn’t have been passed down the gene pool to this day if it hadn’t been. Anemia proved to be a favorable trait as it lowered iron levels within a person’s body, and in certain regions of the world in the past, this proved to be very beneficial as bacteria was more susceptible to feed on the abundance of iron within a person’s body. Due to anemia leading to less iron, people with anemia were therefore more protected from such iron-eating bacteria. This is how anemia would be an adaptive trait which connects with Big Idea #1 in which the process of evolution drives the unity and diversity of life as people with anemia were able to live longer than those with infectious bacteria in their bodies, therefore ultimately being able to survive and reproduce.
(Lois Kim, lokim3@studnets.d125.org)
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ReplyDeleteDr. John Murray treated anemia in a Somalian refugee camp by using iron supplement pills. Anemia, the inability for blood to efficiently transfer oxygen due to lack of red blood cells and hemoglobin, is caused by a lack of iron from malnutrition. In his experiment he tested what effect anemia played in the immune systems of the refugees. The independent variable was whether or not the patient was treated while the dependent variable was whether they succumbed to diseases. He concluded that the lack of iron causing anemia also made the refugee's immune systems more resilient to pathogens. It was considered, "iron locking in high gear" (19).
ReplyDeleteThere are many different types of anemia yet the general symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and rapid heart beat. The immunity specific from iron deficiency has symptoms including hunger for strange things, upward curvature of nails, and soreness of mouth(http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-anemia-symptoms). The lowered oxygen transportation probably inhibits the breakdown of glucose and leads to the lack of energy. Also, this probably relates to the inability of the body to properly transport antibodies and blood flow. This most likely leads to other deficiencies and weakness and energy. Botulism on the other hand, is caused by ingesting a spore of the Clostridium botulinum plant. The symptoms of botulism include difficulty speaking, drooped eyelids, and muscle weakness. This is a dangerous pathogen and often leads to death. That being said, I would rather have anemia than contract botulism because anemia is not necessarily terminal.
Anemia can be a selective advantage as it doesn't allow iron to build up in the body. Although this is detrimental to the body itself, it also prevents pathogens from using iron as a resource. Iron is necessary for the hemoglobin protein found in red blood cells and anemia is caused by a lack of hemoglobin and thus lack of red blood cells to carry oxygen. Without iron, pathogens can't develop while the body only faces less efficient oxygen transportation. This can be crucial when a disease such as malaria can be deadly while anemia can be manageable. This relates to Big Idea 1 because anemia can be a selective advantage during highly virulent times when living longer because of anemia would overcome the long term effects. This would enable someone with anemia to survive and reproduce instead of people with normal iron levels.
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