Moalem describes hemochromatosis as a hereditary disease in which a person has an overabundance of iron in their blood. Despite iron being a crucial metal to most life on Earth - humans, parasites, and phytoplankton alike - an overabundance of the metal has detrimental effects on the body. When left untreated, hemochromatosis can cause “liver failure, heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, infertility, psychiatric disorders, and even cancer” (Moalem 2). Since the disease is hereditary, evidently hemochromatosis has been passed on from generation-to-generation for quite some time. However, when applying this to the theory of natural selection, it seems unreasonable for a harmful disease to constantly be passed on if it does not improve living conditions …show more content…
In order to justify some of the benefits of the hemochromatosis gene, it is important to mention that a hemochromatic person has an uneven concentration of iron in their bloodstream. Although there is plenty of iron to go around, not all of it is distributed evenly. Certain white blood cells called macrophages are among those cells in the bloodstream that do not receive a sufficient amount of iron in a hemochromatic bloodstream. Normally, macrophages act as guards for the blood against foreign invaders, and when they find a virus, they bind to it and bring it back to the lymph nodes for filtering the foreign particle. Sometimes, this process backfires. Since (almost) all organisms on Earth thrive on iron, the virus that is attached to the macrophage starts to feed on the iron in the cell. By the time the macrophage and virus reach the lymph node, the virus is stronger after consuming the iron, and is able to multiply and invade the lymphatic system. In a hemochromatic person, however, the macrophages are starved of
1.The “big” question that the book will attempt to answer is “Why would evolution- which is supple go weed out harmful traits and promote helpful ones- allow this gene (hemochromatosis) to persist?”
Why does evolution allow useless or harmful traits? The book Survival of the Sickest: The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity, penned by Dr. Sharon Moalem and Jonathan Prince, delves into this intriguing question, offering many answers across its eight captivating chapters. This book is a treasure trove of thought-provoking queries, such as why hemochromatosis is prevalent in Europeans, why Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in the north, why malaria can be fatal but the common cold is a mere inconvenience, and why we possess so much seemingly “unused” DNA. In Chapter 1, the authors unveil the intricacies of hemochromatosis, a genetic disease in which iron accumulates in the body, and how this seemingly deadly trait proved
Hemochromatosis is a deadly disease in which the body believes that it never has enough iron. The body, as a result is that iron is not filtered out through the intestines, it is always entering the body. This iron runs out of places to be stored, and is spread throughout the body. These iron stores eventually end up changing the body and causing damage to major organs and joints. Hemochromatosis can lead to cancer, heart failure, and a plethora of other problems.
Take hemochromatosis, a hereditary condition that causes iron to accumulate in a person's body. A person having hemochromatosis
Polyploidy variation in chromosomal number due to addition of one or more haploid sets of chromosomes.
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.
Presumed to have been plaguing humanity since the Viking days, hemochromatosis is a fatal hereditary disease that upsets the body's natural metabolizing of iron. The mineral, although essential to the survival of all living organisms, becomes extremely lethal in abnormally large quantities. Unfortunately, this serves as rather tragic news to the afflicted, since their bodies absorb iron in an uncontrollable manner. A wide variety of medical complications and symptoms, including cancer, infertility, psychiatric disorders, diabetes, arthritis, damage in the overall body chemistry and joints, could consequently occur over a long period of diagnosis. Major organs such as the heart and liver additionally suffer at the hands of hemochromatosis, further adding to the possibility of death if the disease remains unchecked.
Science Script (Final) Slide 1: Introduction Good morning/ afternoon everyone, today we will be talking about our genetic disease ‘hereditary Haemochromatosis’. Warrick and I will expand your knowledge on the genetic disease. Slide2: what is hereditary haemochromatosis Hereditary hemochromatosis is a disorder that causes the body to absorb too much iron from the diet.
Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease in which there is too much iron that builds up in your body, this is referred to as an iron overload. Iron is an essential nutrient found in many foods but can be toxic to our bodies if we have to much. “Normally, humans absorb about 8-10% of the iron found in foods that they eat.” People with Hemochromatosis can absorb up to four times more iron than a normal human being. Since our bodies have no natural way to get rid of the extra iron, it gets stored in your body tissue including the liver, heart, pancreas and many other areas of our body can also be infected by this iron overload.
In the test we found that Julia’s mother had a genetic condition called Hereditary Hemochromatosis this means Julia has a likely chance of being a carrier. Hereditary Hemochromatosis is a disorder that causes the body to absorb excessive amounts of iron thus damaging important organs. Hemochromatosis is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner meaning two copies of an abnormal gene must be present in order for the disease or trait to develop. It is possible that Jack may be a carrier as well, as his parents or grandparents could have been carriers so in this case we found need to investigate your family background and history.
Hemochromatosis is a diseases in which too much iron builds up and it mainly targets your bloodstream. People with hemochromatosis experience heart failure and jolt pain. Hemochromatosis was discovered in the United States and found mostly in people of Western European descent. Hemochromatosis diagnosed by people undergoing a series of tests, checking medical and family histories, and having a physical examination. It is treated by phlebotomy which is the surgical opening of a vein to withdraw blood. This disease made people believe that iron is good for you only in moderation. Too much iron can actually be detrimental to the human body. This disease impacted humans during
Hemochromatosis is usually detected when high levels of iron are found during blood tests, and most people are diagnosed around the ages of 30 to 50 years old, of which 3 out of 4 will show no symptoms of the disorder. Some people will be identified as having hemochromatosis because their doctor ordered blood iron level tests due to elevated liver enzymes found during routine blood tests, others are diagnosed because of bronzing of the skin, heart failure, diabetes, or impotence (“Hemochromatosis,” n.d.).
The protein transferrin receptor 2 (Tfr2) is partly responsible for regulation of hepcidin in the liver and is affiliated with erythropoietin receptor (Epor) in erythroid cells (1, 2). A mutation in Tfr2 leads to an iron overload disease known as haemochromatosis (Hfe) type 3, without any apparent erythroid irregularities (1). Tfr2 is a constituent of an atypical iron-sensing pathway that adapts erythrocyte production, according to iron accessibility, achievable by modulating the erythroblast erythropoietin sensitivity (1). The red blood cell (RBC) specific hormone erythropoietin (Epo) accounts for the proliferation and differentiation of J2E erythroid cells (3, 4). Although, J2E cells mature at a different morphological
Iron overload is the major cause of morbidity for thalassemia patients. Even non-transfused patients develop secondary iron overload, due to increased absorption of dietary iron. Iron overload is a leading cause of mortality and organ
I have chosen to do Anaemia as I didn’t know what Anaemia was and would like to learn more about this disorder and how to keep your iron level high. I would also enjoy finding interesting recipes and the strict diet you are to sick to while dealing with Anaemia. Anaemia is a deficiency in the number or quality of red blood cells, this means that either the level of red blood cells or the level of haemoglobin is lower than normal. When a person is anaemic, their heart has to work harder to pump the quantity of blood needed to get adequate oxygen around their body. Anaemia isn’t a disease, but a result of a malfunction in the body, anaemia is more common in women,. One in five menstruating women and half of all the pregnant women have anaemia.