Survival of the Sickest Essays - 859 Words

Survival of the Sickest, written by author Dr. Sharon Moalem, is a book discussing why evolution has not allowed for the destruction of certain diseases. He states that these deadly diseases, such as Anemia, Hemochromatosis, and High Cholesterol, are in fact tools that evolution used to help the human race survive. He explains how these diseases helped fight against more dangerous and life threatening sicknesses such as, Malaria, the Bubonic Plague, and Vitamin D deficiency related illnesses. The main idea of this book is a simple one. Evolution did not necessarily favor adaptations that made us better. Instead, it favored adaptations that helped us survive. Even if these adaptations would end up killing us in the long run. This book†¦show more content†¦The subject matter itself is also an interesting and entertaining combination of fact and speculation. The author is not scared to go off on a limb and suggest seemingly unreasonable ideas and then quickly uses scientific facts to back up his speculation. For example he explains how the wood frog completely freezes itself in the winter in order to survive. In the spring it thaws out and returns to the normality of living. He uses this example to explain that one day cryogenic freezing could be an effective life sustaining tool. He also says that diabetes is caused from an ice age by the name of the Younger Dryads. As unbelievable as it sounds, he proves that it is a logical argument using scientific facts and research. He also takes the reader on a history lesson in order to explain why diseases helped the human race. The population today may not need Hemochromatosis to protect against the bubonic plague, but at one point in history, only those with this deadly disease survived the onslaught of the Black Death. The simple writing style and lightness of the somewhat delicate topic makes this book a fantastic read that can be enjoyed by a range of people. Experts in the subject field of biogenetics and curious high school kids can both appreciate this book for what it is; and insightful, fascinating, fresh look at the world of biogenetics and what it can mean for you personally. I say personally because scientists have com toShow MoreRelatedSurvival Of The Sickest By Sharon Moalem1806 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger† (p. 28). In the scientific novel Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem with Jonathan Prince, self-acclaimed â€Å"Medical Maverick† Dr. Moalem makes in-depth analyses of current human diseases that, ironically, may have led to the survival of mankind in the past. He presents a novel concept that greatly contradicts what have been universally accepted beliefs surrounding biology and the process of human evolution for a long time. With the use of myriad scientificRead MoreSurvival Of The Sickest By Sharon Moalem1628 Words   |  7 PagesJamie Zeng ID #: 5982 Stuyvesant High School Summer Reading Assignment 2015: Survival of the Sickest â€Å"What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger† (p. 28). In the scientific novel Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem with Jonathan Prince, self-acclaimed â€Å"Medical Maverick† Dr. Moalem makes in-depth analyses of current human diseases that, ironically, may have actually been beneficial to the survival and evolution of mankind throughout its existence on Earth. With the use of myriad scientific studiesRead MoreSurvival of the Sickest Chapter Summaries Essay1288 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1 Summary In chapter one it talks about how hemachromatosis is a hereditary disease and it’s the most common genetic disease for people of European descent, in which the body cant register that it has enough iron. So it keeps absorbing as much of it as possible, and this can have very, serious side effects (including death). Iron is very important for bacteria, cancer, and other things to grow. The way this disease is most easily treated is blood letting. Looks like all those crazy blood-lettingRead MoreSurvival Of The Sickest : The Surprising Connections Between Disease And Longevity1058 Words   |  5 PagesBiology, more specifically evolution, is the reason why I find science so interesting. Survival of the Sickest: The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity was right up my alley, and one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It was also very different from most books I read, since non-fiction books are usually not my first choice. However, I am very ha ppy that this book was a part of the summer assignment not only because I enjoyed it, but also because how it will helpRead MoreCharles Darwin s Survival Of The Sickest By Dr. Sharon Moalem2195 Words   |  9 Pagesway to adapt to their environment and produce more offsprings. As discussed in the novel of Survival of the Sickest, written by Dr. Sharon Moalem, Moalem gives readers an evolutionary approach to the mystery behind modern day diseases by looking into the past. For my purpose, I will be discussing the evolutionary advantage behind three crucial diseases that were vitally important for our ancestors survival which are diabetes, hemochromatosis and favism. Modern day diabetes is one of the most commonRead MoreLife Is A Constant State Of Creation1448 Words   |  6 PagesAs writer Sharon Moalem said, â€Å"life is in a constant state of creation.† (Survival of the Sickest, paperback version, p.139), and it is true. For centuries organisms have been changing and †˜creating’ entire new species to be able to survive and reproduce. Evolution, the process in which all living beings have been developing from their earlier forms, occurs over and over again and will continue doing so to be able to keep the species alive and well fit to live in their current given environmentRead MoreDr. Sharon Moalem And Jonathan Prince1264 Words   |  6 Pagesscientific book Survival of the Sickest . They discuss that if diseases weren t helpful, shouldn t they have been eliminated through natural selection or shouldn t humans have developed resistance to them through the use of evolution? Moalem and Prince answer the questions by going back in time and analyzing the uses of diseases, and come across surprises that may help humans in the future as they may have in the past. Though Moalem and Prince discussed many diseases in their book Survival of the SickestRead MoreDiseases And Viruses Are Preventable Harmful, Dr. Sharon Moalem1280 Words   |  6 Pa gesin their blood to create heat.† In addition, in areas of cold weather more people are diagnosed with diabetes. Thus, it is easy to imagine that people with diabetes had an advantage over other people during the time of the Younger Dryas. Survival of the Sickest has definitely modified my perspective of diseases and inheritance. I would never have thought that diseases could have actually helped us, however if you think about it, it seems reasonable because if diseases were bad for us, evolution wouldRead MoreMedical Allocation And Its Effects On Society773 Words   |  4 Pagesbe increased by allocating aged donors to aged beneficiaries, in light of the fact that the shorter expected joining survival of more established kidneys might be less grave for more seasoned beneficiaries, who are not anticipated that would live the length of a more youthful beneficiary. Since the survival of transplant beneficiaries of all ages is more noteworthy than the survival of patients on dialysis, it is contended that it is ideal to utilize more seasoned perished benefactor kidneys thanRead MoreGlobal Health 101 : Universal Declaration Of Human Rights Essay1024 Words   |  5 Pages100. A score of 20 means the kidney is expected to last longer than 80% of available kidneys. The score is a reflection of the age and health of the donor. On the recipient side, the comparable measurement is called the Estimated Post Transplant Survival (EPTS) score. The scale is the same, zero to one hundred and here too a score of twenty means the recipient is likely to need a kidney longer than 80% of all recipients. The factors that go into calculating the EPTS score include age, length of time