The Bio/Ecological Approach
WHAT IS THE BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL APPROACH TO MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY?
The biological approach used in medical anthropology focuses on the physical, biological, and genetic aspects of the disease in mind. Anthropologists using the biological approach focus on how individual choices, genes, and the environment play into different diseases. These anthropologists try to find different genetic markers, lifestyle choices, and different environments in which a person lives in attempt to find a biological link to what may cause the disease In the ecological approach, anthropologists try to find a relationship between organisms and their environment, and how these relationships may lead to disease. The ecological approach used in medical anthropology strongly relates humans, animals, natural resources, and plant life with their strict interactions with each other in everyday life. Overall, the goal of the ecological approach used in medical anthropology is to maintain a balance of homeostasis for mutual benefit of both the individual involved and the environment surrounding them.
The biological and ecological approaches to medical anthropology is useful in lung cancer research because this approach directly finds links between someone's genetics and their susceptibility to lung cancer, factors in the surrounding environment, such a second hand smoke and air pollution, and how this increases a person's chance of developing lung cancer. In reality, the biological and ecological approaches to medical anthropology reflect American/Western culture's understanding and treatment of disease. Extensive research is being done to link both an individual's choice to smoke, genetic bio-markers, and where the person is living to have likely that person is to develop lung cancer. In these models, extensive lab testing methods and experiments are the main component in determining a link between a person and their biological/ecological factors to developing lung cancer. By doing so, researchers plan to develop medicine and treatments to stop lung cancer development, define which genes may lead to a predisposition to lung cancer, and possibly even cure lung cancers.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES?
There are many current anthropological articles and case studies that focus on the biological and ecological approaches of lung cancer. An example in seen in the journal Human Heredity, in an article, written by Dr. Bermejo, an affiliate with the German Cancer Research Center, entitled "Gene-Environment Interactions and Familial Relative Risks." In the article, Dr. Bermejo investigates the link of lung cancer among parent and child, as well as, spouse and spouse. The article hypothesizes that there will be a link between familial persons and lung cancer due to the sharing of genetics and environments, as well as, unhealthy habits such as smoking and second hand smoke exposure. However, the article also hypothesizes that spouse to spouse interactions may also lead to increased lung cancer risk, especially with tobacco smoke exposure in the home. Methods included comparison and random sampling of smoke exposure and non-smoke exposure homes, amount of environmental overlap between individuals, the number of dependents exposed versus not exposed, and the" gene-environment model" (Bermejo, 172). It was found that if one's parent's smoked, their offspring was almost four times likely to have a known lung cancer gene (genotype AA) or become a carrier (genotype Aa), while no smoke exposure did not change the chance of a person developing lung cancer (Bermejo, 177). Also, as parental smoking increased, so did offspring smoking rates, which in turn increased lung cancer prevalence in both parents and offspring. The article states, "The present results suggest that familial cases of lung cancer are related to genes that slightly modify the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoking. However, the strong correlation found between smoking frequency and relative risk when the heritability of smoking was high may be indicative of a different situation for passive smoking" (Bermejo, 176). However, only environmental factors (smoking in this case) caused increased risk from spouse to spouse. This was to be expected since it would be unusual for a spouse to share similar genetics to their partner.
Another example of a case study relating a specific gene mutation to the prevalence of lung cancer is seen in the video below, titled, "Testing identifies Genetic Mutations that can cause Lung Cancer." This video directly shows how a medical anthropologist may determine if genes and disease are linked. In this video clip, researchers have found a specific link of genes to someone's risk of developing lung cancer. As an anthropologist, one would like to see if the certain genetic sequence is more prevalent in some populations than others, as well as, how this genetic mutations came to be. The video especially notes that a test to determine if someone is at risk for this genetic mutation that can cause lung cancer is in the works.
The biological approach used in medical anthropology focuses on the physical, biological, and genetic aspects of the disease in mind. Anthropologists using the biological approach focus on how individual choices, genes, and the environment play into different diseases. These anthropologists try to find different genetic markers, lifestyle choices, and different environments in which a person lives in attempt to find a biological link to what may cause the disease In the ecological approach, anthropologists try to find a relationship between organisms and their environment, and how these relationships may lead to disease. The ecological approach used in medical anthropology strongly relates humans, animals, natural resources, and plant life with their strict interactions with each other in everyday life. Overall, the goal of the ecological approach used in medical anthropology is to maintain a balance of homeostasis for mutual benefit of both the individual involved and the environment surrounding them.
The biological and ecological approaches to medical anthropology is useful in lung cancer research because this approach directly finds links between someone's genetics and their susceptibility to lung cancer, factors in the surrounding environment, such a second hand smoke and air pollution, and how this increases a person's chance of developing lung cancer. In reality, the biological and ecological approaches to medical anthropology reflect American/Western culture's understanding and treatment of disease. Extensive research is being done to link both an individual's choice to smoke, genetic bio-markers, and where the person is living to have likely that person is to develop lung cancer. In these models, extensive lab testing methods and experiments are the main component in determining a link between a person and their biological/ecological factors to developing lung cancer. By doing so, researchers plan to develop medicine and treatments to stop lung cancer development, define which genes may lead to a predisposition to lung cancer, and possibly even cure lung cancers.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES?
There are many current anthropological articles and case studies that focus on the biological and ecological approaches of lung cancer. An example in seen in the journal Human Heredity, in an article, written by Dr. Bermejo, an affiliate with the German Cancer Research Center, entitled "Gene-Environment Interactions and Familial Relative Risks." In the article, Dr. Bermejo investigates the link of lung cancer among parent and child, as well as, spouse and spouse. The article hypothesizes that there will be a link between familial persons and lung cancer due to the sharing of genetics and environments, as well as, unhealthy habits such as smoking and second hand smoke exposure. However, the article also hypothesizes that spouse to spouse interactions may also lead to increased lung cancer risk, especially with tobacco smoke exposure in the home. Methods included comparison and random sampling of smoke exposure and non-smoke exposure homes, amount of environmental overlap between individuals, the number of dependents exposed versus not exposed, and the" gene-environment model" (Bermejo, 172). It was found that if one's parent's smoked, their offspring was almost four times likely to have a known lung cancer gene (genotype AA) or become a carrier (genotype Aa), while no smoke exposure did not change the chance of a person developing lung cancer (Bermejo, 177). Also, as parental smoking increased, so did offspring smoking rates, which in turn increased lung cancer prevalence in both parents and offspring. The article states, "The present results suggest that familial cases of lung cancer are related to genes that slightly modify the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoking. However, the strong correlation found between smoking frequency and relative risk when the heritability of smoking was high may be indicative of a different situation for passive smoking" (Bermejo, 176). However, only environmental factors (smoking in this case) caused increased risk from spouse to spouse. This was to be expected since it would be unusual for a spouse to share similar genetics to their partner.
Another example of a case study relating a specific gene mutation to the prevalence of lung cancer is seen in the video below, titled, "Testing identifies Genetic Mutations that can cause Lung Cancer." This video directly shows how a medical anthropologist may determine if genes and disease are linked. In this video clip, researchers have found a specific link of genes to someone's risk of developing lung cancer. As an anthropologist, one would like to see if the certain genetic sequence is more prevalent in some populations than others, as well as, how this genetic mutations came to be. The video especially notes that a test to determine if someone is at risk for this genetic mutation that can cause lung cancer is in the works.
Video Credit: TheJAMAReport (YouTube site)
My last example is how environment can affect someone's chances of developing lung cancer. Recent research has discovered that the increase in air population in an area can increase a person's chances of developing lung cancer. As an anthropologist, one may want to examine where the highest points of air pollution are in the world, as well as, to see if culture has anything to do with these high air pollution rates. Maybe the area that is being studied is highly involved in coal mining where toxic wastes would be let off. Maybe smoking is a popular activity leading to the increase of smoke in the air. There are many different possibilities an anthropologist could examine pertaining to air pollution and its possible predisposition to lung cancer. This topic is discussed below in the video clip titled, "Lung Cancer:
My last example is how environment can affect someone's chances of developing lung cancer. Recent research has discovered that the increase in air population in an area can increase a person's chances of developing lung cancer. As an anthropologist, one may want to examine where the highest points of air pollution are in the world, as well as, to see if culture has anything to do with these high air pollution rates. Maybe the area that is being studied is highly involved in coal mining where toxic wastes would be let off. Maybe smoking is a popular activity leading to the increase of smoke in the air. There are many different possibilities an anthropologist could examine pertaining to air pollution and its possible predisposition to lung cancer. This topic is discussed below in the video clip titled, "Lung Cancer:
Video credit: Wall Street Journal (YouTube site)
CULTURE, BIOLOGY, and ECOLOGY...OH MY?!
Cultural, biological, and ecological aspects of medical anthropology interlace like a Venn Diagram. In the case of lung cancer, genetics can make someone more susceptible to chemicals found in the surrounding environment, otherwise known as ecology. This ecological shifts can be brought upon by cultural practices. An example is if someone has the genetic bio markers that code to be more susceptible to developing lung cancer and lives in a city where big factories are a cultural way of making a living, breathing in the smog air daily could increase their risk for developing lung cancer. It is a continuous overlap in which one wants to be in the categories with the less overlap.
CULTURE, BIOLOGY, and ECOLOGY...OH MY?!
Cultural, biological, and ecological aspects of medical anthropology interlace like a Venn Diagram. In the case of lung cancer, genetics can make someone more susceptible to chemicals found in the surrounding environment, otherwise known as ecology. This ecological shifts can be brought upon by cultural practices. An example is if someone has the genetic bio markers that code to be more susceptible to developing lung cancer and lives in a city where big factories are a cultural way of making a living, breathing in the smog air daily could increase their risk for developing lung cancer. It is a continuous overlap in which one wants to be in the categories with the less overlap.
Bibliography:
Bermejo, J L. "Gene-Environment Interactions and Familial Relative Risks." Human Heredity 46, no. 4 (May 20, 2008): 170-79. ProQuest. http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/222236349/82B8FD0977D04E51PQ/3?accountid=12598.
Lung Cancer: Is Air Pollution a Major Contributor? Wall Street Journal, 2014. Web. 17 July 2014.
Testing Identifies Genetic Mutations that can Help Target Lung Cancer Treatment. TheJAMAReport, 2014. Web. 17 July 2014.
Bermejo, J L. "Gene-Environment Interactions and Familial Relative Risks." Human Heredity 46, no. 4 (May 20, 2008): 170-79. ProQuest. http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/222236349/82B8FD0977D04E51PQ/3?accountid=12598.
Lung Cancer: Is Air Pollution a Major Contributor? Wall Street Journal, 2014. Web. 17 July 2014.
Testing Identifies Genetic Mutations that can Help Target Lung Cancer Treatment. TheJAMAReport, 2014. Web. 17 July 2014.