This environmental stress (High altitude), negatively impacts the survival of humans by disturbing homeostasis by not allowing the human body to take in as much oxygen as it does at a lower altitude level, causing hypoxia. The human body can adapt to the amount of oxygen that the body needs and takes in or the amount of oxygen that it's deprived off by increasing or decreasing the amount of red blood cells in the body. At higher altitude levels, the red blood cells in the body decrease amounting to less oxygen in our organs and tissues. Also at higher altitude, the heart works overtime by pumping blood harder and blood pressure increases.
Humans have adapted to living and surviving at higher altitudes by being less physical, getting enough rest (Short-term adaptation).
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As my family living in Denver Colorado would say to me "Your body get used to living high", The red blood cells will increase withing a few days of being at a high altitude, and therefore allowing hemoglobin to transported the necessary oxygen to the vital organs. The lungs would also increase in size allowing for more oxygen to come into the body and allow you to recuperate faster. (Facultative adaptation).
A good example of facultative adaptation would be that of an athlete training at a higher altitude than he is used to training in. This would allow that athlete to increase his red blood cells, allow for more oxygen to enter his lungs, recuperating faster from his training and better his cardiovascular conditioning. In the end, this athlete would be able to perform better at his task. It is common among athletes in all sports to do this type of high altitude training.
During my research, I learned that during early childhood as early as newborns in high altitudes, they begin to develop larger capacity lungs and enlarged ventricles of the heart (Developmental adaptation).
There are several ways to adapt to the high altitudes. Humans living at those altitude could migrate to warmer or lower elevation during the winter, wear warmer clothing and restrict extraneous physical activities until their body adapts to the high altitude (Cultural adaptation).
I believe the benefits of studying human variation from this perspective across environmental clines is that it would allow us to further understand and study how our bodies react and adapt to physical activity and just living at a high altitude. Also it would provide us with more scientific medical data and possibly find a cure or better treatment for the different types of heart disease related to low blood cells or low oxygen levels.
It would be difficult for me to use race to understand the variation of the adaptation of high altitude. I don't think I would be successful in showing results. I would be interested in reading someones thoughts and attempt at using race to understand variation of the adaptation of high altitude.
Good description of the high altitude stress and I appreciate how you worked in your own experiences into the post.
ReplyDeleteIn general, good work on the adaptations. Keep in mind, however, that adaptations are beneficial changes that allow us to continue our lives in the face of these changes. So does the short term adaptation you mention (more rest and restricting activity) accomplish this? Or is it something we are obligated to do because we HAVEN'T adapted to high altitude? Fine line here. An example of a short term adaptation to high altitude is an increase in breathing and respiration.
Good discussion on the benefits of the adaptive approach.
While I agree with your conclusion in the section on race, I would have liked to see a little more exploration on this topic and how you came to this conclusion. Why can't you use race in this type of study?
Otherwise, good.
In reviewing the short term adaptions portion of your comment, i would agree that getting more sleep doesn't necessarily allow us to continue our physical lives as it pertains to higher altitudes. However restricting activity, one would still be able to go about their every day activities just keeping in mind how your body reacts and what you need to do in order to adapt to new altitude. Once the adaption to higher altitude takes place in our bodies, we should be able to resume a normal fully active life.
DeleteThe reason i believe race would not be able to be use to study variation of adaptation at high altitudes would be because even though "different races" adapt differently to altitudes and other climate issues, all humans have the ability to eventually adapt to high altitudes unless they have some type of deases like sick-ell cell. It would be difficult for me to use this matter to explain. My post was that i don't think i could use race to understand the variation of adaptation but maybe others can.
Regarding your comment on race, good response. I agree.
DeleteWith regard to restricting activities, this isn't adapting to the environment, this is allowing for your shortcomings until you do adapt. You even say this in your last sentence. Do you see how this is an indication of not having physiologically adapted yet, instead actually adapting?
Thank you for your response.
I think it’s pretty amazing how our bodies adapt to different stress. It’s pretty amazing that with higher altitudes our bodies make sure we get enough oxygen in our blood. I enjoyed this post and learned more than what I already knew. Really good post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Justin, i learned a lot in researching this subject too. The most interesting point to me was how red blood cells change one way or the other at different altitude as our bodies adjust to those altitudes and how athletes are able to use this as they train in order to better their cardiovascular conditioning. I heard about this type of training during sporting events how boxers and fighters do this, but to see and read how it actually works was really educational.
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