On pages
64-65, Dr. Moalem discusses how African Americans are more likely to develop
hypertension than are other races. Hypertension is almost twice as common among
African Americans as it is in the rest of the American population. However,
Blacks living in Africa do not have the same rate of hypertension as people of
African descent in America. The explanation for this relies on Big Idea 1 (the
process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life) and on the fact
that salt can raise your blood pressure.
Explain how
this difference between blacks in Africa and in America relates to salt
retention. Is this an example of the founder or bottleneck effect? Come up with
two more examples of traits that differ among population groups and
explain the reasons behind the differences. Are the examples you came up with a
result of the same mechanism that results in higher blood pressure in African
Americans? How has increased salt retention affected modern day African Americans' health (not including hypertension) relative to that of other races?
-Mikhail Iouchkov (mikhailiouchkov@gmail.com)
-Mikhail Iouchkov (mikhailiouchkov@gmail.com)
The difference in blood pressure between Africans and Americans with African Blood is a result of Unnatural selection. The reason that blacks in America have more salt in their blood than those in Africa. The reason for this is the African Slave Trade, which brought Africans to America under terrible conditions. Those with a higher propensity for holding salt were able to survive by holding in water to protect against fatal dehydration. This whole selection can connect to BIG Idea 1, which states "The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life". It also shows a great example of how humans have impacted our own evolution.
ReplyDeleteThere are other species other than humans that, much like High salt levels in African-Americans, are due to unnatural selection and human intervention. One example of this is the Pacific Chinook Salmon. Over the last 50 years, it has shrunk its average length by 20 mm. It also now prefers to wait over winter in reservoirs behind dams, then travel out to sea. Scientists are now not sure if the salmon could survive if the dams are removed, as some environmentalists would like. This shows the species changing in the case of human intervention, in this case, the building of dams in the Idaho river.
(http://www.environment.ucla.edu/ctr/news/article.asp?parentID=2064)
The examples of unnatural selection shows how as humans we can affect not only our own evolution, but other species as well. The African Americans with higher salt levels have to more carefully watch their salt levels and how much sodium they are taking in with their diet. It can also lead to diseases other than Hypertension, such as osteoporosis and poor bone development, and heart failure. It is unfortunate that African-Americans have to suffer from the conditions of the Slave trade today, as it is still affecting them from within their genes.
Other Sources: http://www.pnas.org/content/106/suppl.1/9987.full http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/sodium-eng.php
Patrick Austin (paustin4@students.d125.org)
ReplyDeleteit is very interesting content! i've thoroughly loved reading your points and feature come to the belief that you are proper approximately lots of them.for information regarding best hypertension doctor in India please visit to the link.
Hypertension: A Wake-Up Alarm for Your Health