SURVIVAL OF THE SICKEST Chapter 2 A Spoonful

The author first explains what diabetes is and how it affects people. It’s

The answer: tree frogs A scientist found tree frogs that had literally frozen

It is believed that having diabetes once helped in the frigid cold that

Freezing is kind of like hibernation of the entire body. The body no

Early people probably wanted diabetes because it might have helped them survive the

Back in the day, diabetes was helpful, not harmful. Even though today the

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SURVIVAL OF THE SICKEST Chapter 2: A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Temperature Go Down

The author first explains what diabetes is and how it affects people. It’s important to understand this because the chapter is over how diabetes could have been helpful to us many millions of years ago. Diabetes today is considered pesky at best and fatal at worst, so how could it have ever helped us? DIABETES

The answer: tree frogs A scientist found tree frogs that had literally frozen themselves. They raised the blood sugar levels so high, their blood turned to mush instead of freezing. They had released any and all excess liquid, so it doesn’t create shards that cut or burst their veins. The blood goes to the core, the most vital part of the body. TREE FROGS

PICTURE OF FROZEN TREE FROG

It is believed that having diabetes once helped in the frigid cold that the earliest humans faced. Raising the blood sugar causes the blood to turn to slush where it would normally freeze, which can stay in the veins, versus regular blood sugar levels which would cause ice shards in the veins. Diabetics, even today, still tend to have a higher blood glucose level during the winter months. HOW DO TREE FROGS RELATE TO US?

Freezing is kind of like hibernation of the entire body. The body no longer needs to pump blood to sustain a normal body temperature because life functions no longer need to be carried out. Freezing is easier and better for bodies that equipped for it. BUT WHY FREEZING?

Early people probably wanted diabetes because it might have helped them survive the horrid cold. Most people with diabetes have descendants from Europe, where cold is no stranger. Freezing prevented complications of cold, such as, hypothermia. People today with type one diabetes probably descend from a long line of early humans with diabetes. WHY DID PEOPLE WANT THIS TRAIT?

Back in the day, diabetes was helpful, not harmful. Even though today the opposite is true, diabetes still exists because it takes millions of year of environmental pressure to reverse this. The general rule is that if it is hurtful now, it probably used to be pretty helpful sometime ago. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TODAY?