Evolutionary medicine
Evolutionary Medicine
Evolutionary medicine (pronounced: /ˌiːvəˈluːʃənəri ˈmɛdɪsɪn/), also known as Darwinian medicine, is the application of modern evolutionary theory to understanding health and disease. It provides a complementary scientific approach to the traditional empirical understanding of medicine, considering the evolutionary origins of common diseases to help find new biomedical approaches for preventing and treating them.
Etymology
The term "evolutionary medicine" is derived from the evolutionary theory, which explains the diversity of life on Earth, and medicine, the science and practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease. The term "Darwinian medicine" is named after Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory.
Related Terms
- Natural selection: The process in nature by which, according to Darwin's theory of evolution, only the organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and transmit their genetic characteristics in increasing numbers to succeeding generations while those less adapted tend to be eliminated.
- Genetic drift: A mechanism of evolution in which allele frequencies of a population change over generations due to chance (sampling error).
- Adaptation: In evolutionary theory, the process by which species become fitted to their environment.
- Pathogen: A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.
- Host (biology): An organism that harbors a parasitic, a mutualistic, or a commensalist guest (symbiont), typically providing nourishment and shelter.
- Trade-off: A situation that involves losing one quality or aspect of something in return for gaining another quality or aspect.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Evolutionary medicine
- Wikipedia's article - Evolutionary medicine
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