A Biological Basis For Health

507 Words3 Pages
Chapter 1 - A Biological Basis for Health * Biology – diverse branch of science: study of living organisms, body structures/functions and interrelationships. * BIOLOGICAL DETERMINISM – belief that characteristics are explained ultimately by organism’s genes. * Reductionist view – complete explanation offered from only a single discipline. * NATURE-NURTURE debate – argument of how much human characteristics are down to: genetic inheritance/environmental factors. (Now widely agree these interact...changing environment can counteract effects of genes in some cases e.g. PKU) * Holistic approach – taking into account evidence from other discipline areas...keep the ‘whole’ in view. Alternative therapies as treatment options. * Reductionist approach – dominant in Western medicine. Doctors/diagnosis/treatment. * Evolution – Biological: transmission of genes etc. Cultural: transmission of customs/values etc. They interact with each other e.g. food knowledge/digestive tract. * Natural selection etc. – Survival of the ‘fittest’ (i.e. lifetime reproductive success). Survival advantages such as adaptive characteristics (in environment at that time), must be heritable. * Environmental change is more likely survived by species (as a whole) if there is variation. * Health depends on nature AND nurture. * Genes set a limit on characteristics/environment determines what will happen. * Correlations between factors does not necessarily prove the cause. * Observations: anecdote/case report * Epidemiological study – looks for relationships between factors thought to influence contraction of disease, and measures of health in communities/populations. * Longitudinal study – gathering data from individuals over their life cycle e.g. the Southampton Group * The programming hypothesis – conditions that are experienced
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