Evolutionary Medicine

Question 1

Categories of diseases

Answer 1

• Disease are actually evolved defences
• Natural selection often lags behind environmental change: “diseases of civilization”
  -Evolutionary constraints and trade-offs
• Traits may increase reproductive fitness at the cost of vulnerability to diseases
• Conflict with other organisms: pathogens often evolve faster that their hosts

Question 2

Evolved defences

Answer 2

Many human diseases are evolved defences; they often are part of the solution rather than the problems

• Coughing and pain: the most obvious defence mechanisms that cause discomfort. Others include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, fatigue, sneezing and inflammation
• Morning sickness: Avoiding toxic food for the protection of the fetus

Fever: evolved defence
H1: Fever may represent manipulation of host by the pathogens

H2: Fever may be an adaptive defence against the pathogen

Smoke-alarm principle: Natural selection