HIV virus is one of the most pressing health concerns facing the modern world. Since the first reported case of HIV/AIDS in 1981, over 25 million people have died. Out of the millions of people infected each year with the HIV virus, a few have shown HIV/AIDS resistance. A genetic mutation found mostly in people of European descent delays the progression of AIDS and in some cases even brings about immunity.
For much of nature, natural selection and ‘survival of the fittest’ still play a dominant role; only the strongest can survive in the wild. As little as a few hundred years ago, the same was true for humans, but what about now?
Alleles are matching genes; one from our biological mother, one from our biological father. We have two copies of every gene (strings of code that drive some biological function on our chromosomes)
In biology, evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection. The forces that cause these characteristic changes are mutation, gene flow and genetic drift.
The whole human family is one species with the same genes. Mutation creates slightly different versions of the same genes, called alleles. These small differences in DNA sequence make every individual unique. They account for the variation we see in human hair color, skin color, height, shape, behavior, and susceptibility to disease. Individuals in other species vary too, in both physical appearance and behavior.
In biology, evolution is the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection.
Potatoes grown by cloning are cheap and plentiful, but they share the same genetic information, which makes them vulnerable to the same potato diseases.
Virtually all live-born babies grow up to have their own babies. Does this mean human natural selection, hence the evolution of humans, is coming to an end?
World Health Organisation estimates worldwide there are 1 billion cases of influenza annually. We catch the flu, recover from it, but we are not off the hook, we can catch the flu again.