The Biological Approach The biological approach takes into account genetics, environment, and individual choices. Using this approach can help determine the association between evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift. You can also consider human genetic variation and how individuals or populations respond to environmental stressors like disease. Taking into consideration these factors helps to develop an understanding of the distribution of disease (Karim).
The video to the right looks at research on Lupus in mice models and compares it to human systemic lupus erythematosus to figure out how they can advance technology and possibly find a cure for this disease. Anthropologists using the biological approach look at the genetic factors such as a humans chromosomes to see if a specific defect might pose a greater risk. These researchers are also looking to see what environmental factors are best at regulating the immune system. The man in the video states that that through anthropological research they discovered that if you have a defect in both chromosomes for a specific gene you are at a greater than 90% risk for developing Lupus. This gene is C1Q and he states that it could be lethal because they do not see if in the populations (The Evolution of Lupus Genetic Research). Another concept discussed is antibodies. Everyone makes them and so we have to determine what things change them from person to person. This is all about environment and individual choice. The exposures we have do have an influence on our biology and this is what anthropologists who study this approach look at (Society for Medical Anthropology). |
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The Ecological Approach The ecological approach studies humans and their environment around them in order to determine how specific diseases like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus develop. This approach is also useful for attempting to determine how Lupus spreads within a population. The key to the ecological approach is to preserve the balance within the environment however there are always factors that are unpredictable. Such things include natural disasters or expanding civilization. Many things can induce positive or negative changes and it is important to recognize how populations deal with these things culturally and politically to analyze the disease from an anthropological perspective (Karim).
Anthropologists use the ecological approach to study how the environment interacts with triggers of disease, in this case lupus. Upon reading more about how the environment affects lupus patients I saw that things like diet, other medications, and pesticides can affect how aggravated a lupus flareup can be. This is why it is very difficult to come up with a cure for lupus. Above is a diagram of some of the many things that can affect a persons immune system causing lupus. Using the ecological perspective can help anthropologists to bring an understanding together of the factors influencing the disease (Mohan). |
Bibliography:
Karim, Taz. "Week 1: Lecture 1." ANP 204 Introduction to Medical Anthropology Summer 2014 Week 1 Lecture 1 Comments. Accessed August 14, 2014.
Mohan, C. "Environment versus Genetics in Autoimmunity: A Geneticist's Perspective."Lupus 15, no. 11 (2006): 791-93. December 1, 2006. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://lup.sagepub.com/content/15/11/791.short.
"Society for Medical Anthropology." Society for Medical Anthropology. Accessed August 14, 2014.
"The Evolution of Lupus Genetic Research." YouTube. February 11, 2011. Accessed August 7, 2014.