Origins Of Disease Series: An Evolutionary Perspective
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Highly Recommended: Science Books & Films Human's first ancestors appeared in Africa about 7 million years ago. As these early humans began to walk on two legs, their hands were free to do a variety of tasks and their brain size increased dramatically. Soon the human race was on the road to developing advanced civilizations. However, during the course of this evolution, the "seeds" of disease were sown. The Origins Of Disease explores disease as mankind's destiny from an evolutionary perspective. This series takes a look at the condition of modern patients receiving state-of-the-art treatment, and delves several million years into the past to find traces of diseases' origins and how they evolved over time. Episodes include: Cancer: Evolution’s Deadly Result One of the leading health threats to humans is cancer. However, wild animals rarely get this disease. Why are humans more at risk of developing cancer? When humans became bipedal in Africa, they also developed bigger brains. It seems this created the ideal conditions for cancer cell growth. This episode discusses how humans should deal with the battle against cancer within the context of the evolutionary process. Depression: Legacy Of The Survival Instinct Depr
