Introduction to Evolutionary Medicine

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on evolutionary medicine, including definitions of important terms and explanations of concepts related to health and disease.

Evolutionary Medicine

The application of evolutionary principles to problems in health and disease.

Proximate Questions

Questions that address the mechanisms by which health and disease occur.

Ultimate Questions

Questions that seek to understand the evolutionary reasons behind health and disease.

Trade-offs

Balancing conflicting demands in health, where resources allocated to one life function can detract from another.

Immunopathology

Damage caused to the body by its own immune response when fighting infections.

Natural Selection

The process by which traits that enhance reproductive success become more common in a population over time.

Mismatches

Discrepancies between evolved traits and current environments, leading to vulnerabilities in disease.

Pathogen Evolution

The rapid adaptation of pathogens to their environments, often outpacing host defenses.

Fever Hypothesis

The idea that fever is an adaptive immune response that helps control infections.

Myopia

A common vision condition where distant objects appear blurry due to an elongated eye.