Survival of the Sickest

by

Sharon Moalem

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Survival of the Sickest makes teaching easy.
Anemia is a condition in which people lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues. Anemia can often be caused by a lack of iron. In Survival of the Sickest, Moalem illustrates how anemia can be helpful in two examples: first, a lack of iron prevents pathogens from gaining access to that iron in our bodies and thus makes people less susceptible to other diseases. Second, anemia can be helpful in combatting malaria, because the parasitic protozoa that cause the disease can only infect normal, healthy red blood cells. This is why favism can be helpful in people around the Mediterranean, because it leads to anemia and can help prevent malaria.

Anemia Quotes in Survival of the Sickest

The Survival of the Sickest quotes below are all either spoken by Anemia or refer to Anemia. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Today, we know that Aran suffered the effects of the most common genetic disorder in people of European descent—hemochromatosis, a disorder that may very well have helped his ancestors to survive the plague.

Today, Aran’s health has been restored through bloodletting, one of the oldest medical practices on earth.

Today, we understand much more about the complex interrelationship of our bodies, iron, infection, and conditions like hemochromatosis and anemia.

Related Characters: Sharon Moalem (speaker), Aran Gordon
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

By releasing free radicals and raising the level of oxidants, fava bean consumption makes the blood cells of non-G6PD deficient people a less hospitable place for malarial parasites. With all the free radicals, some red blood cells tend to break down. And when someone with a mild or partial deficiency in G6PD eats fava beans, the parasite is in deep trouble.

Related Characters: Sharon Moalem (speaker)
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
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Survival of the Sickest PDF

Anemia Term Timeline in Survival of the Sickest

The timeline below shows where the term Anemia appears in Survival of the Sickest. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Ironing It Out
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
Interspecies Connectivity and Adaptation Theme Icon
...for almost every function of our metabolism. Iron deficiencies are the most common cause of anemia, or low red blood cell count. Anemia can cause “fatigue, shortness of breath, and even... (full context)
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
Interdisciplinary Science and Research Theme Icon
Conversely, findings have called into question the practice of treating those with anemia with iron loading. A doctor named John Murray was working in a Somali refugee camp... (full context)
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Hemochromatosis and anemia aren’t the only hereditary diseases that have helped combat other conditions. The second-most common genetic... (full context)
Chapter 4: Hey, Bud, Can You Do Me a Fava?
Interdisciplinary Science and Research Theme Icon
...world. In extreme cases, people who have favism and eat fava beans experience “rapid, severe anemia that can often lead to death.” (full context)
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
...to combat malaria, including one called primaquine. About 10 percent of African American soldiers developed anemia while taking primaquine, and other soldiers (mostly of Mediterranean descent) experienced an even more severe... (full context)
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
...of G6PD to maintain the cell’s defense systems, the cells become even more vulnerable. Hemolytic anemia can then lead to kidney failure, heart failure, and death. (full context)
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
...have favism and lack the G6PD enzyme cannot mop up free radicals, which results in anemia in more than 400 million people around the Mediterranean. However, this gives people an advantage... (full context)
Interdisciplinary Science and Research Theme Icon
...and kills more than 1 million people every year. Malaria causes joint pain, vomiting, and anemia. Ultimately, it can lead to coma and death, especially in children and pregnant women. It... (full context)
Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
...Scientist J.B.S. Haldane was one of the first people to understand that certain groups with anemia have better natural resistance to malaria. Today, many scientists believe that a G6PD deficiency (favism)... (full context)