“Everything out there is influencing the evolution of everything else.” Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem with Jonathan Prince discusses the contribution of disease to the evolutionary process. A collection of case studies and other data support the authors’ hypothesis that there is a connection between illnesses that continue to affect society and the adaptability of our ancestors.
The book begins with the introduction of Aram Gordon, a person who has been healthy his entire life. But, when his health began to deteriorate, he was diagnosed with hemochromatosis. Hemochromatosis is, “… a hereditary disease that disrupts the way the body metabolizes iron,” (Moalem, Prince 2). Typically, the body regulates the amount of iron in the blood stream and reduces the amount of iron absorbed by intestines. The excess iron is eliminated. However, hemochromatosis diverges from homeostasis. The blood-iron level is ignored and the tissue absorbs more iron than is necessary. This surplus of iron damages vital organs such as the heart, pancreas, and liver. Moalem recounts how Gordon suffered a variety of resultant symptoms; “... (he was) tired all the time. His joints hurt… (and he had) a liver problem,” and had depression (Moalem, Prince 1-2). At the time, hemochromatosis was still somewhat rare, thereby making it difficult to treat. It was only with Aram Gordon’s case that doctors learnt more about the disease.
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