Archive for the ‘aggression’ tag
Stress Master
Michael Crichton’s genetic thriller “Next” eventually led me to Matt Ridley’s “Genome“. On a lazy afternoon at home, ironically, I turned to chromosome 10 : Stress. The idea of looking into my genes for managing my stress itself was very relaxing. You should try this at home.
In a nutshell, there is a gene on chromosome 10 called CYP17. It makes an enzyme, which enables our body to convert cholesterol into cortisol, a steroid. Cortisol is made in response to stress. One of the effects of cortisol is that it suppresses the immune system.
Scientists have struggled to explain this behavior. Suppressing immune system under stress is kicking you when you are down. Why would natural selection do that to us? Paul Martin in his book: “The Sickening Mind” gives two explanations and rejects them both. One explanations is that it’s all a mistake on part of natural selection. The second explanation suggests that stress in modern times is much more prolonged. The system was designed to handle short term stresses as in ancient environments, such as not finding a pig big enough for family dinner. But, this explanation also is rejected considering similar immuno suppressing effects in birds, baboons and other mammals.
Matt challenges the reader to find a satisfactory logic and I felt challenged enough to write two explnations.
Natural Equilibrium
In an absence of immuno suppressive effect of cortisol, members of any species could take up massive amount of stress. That implies, they would undertake stressful activities which would threaten their own existence without ever stopping. The above mentioned gene CYP17 also helps make testosterone. Another possible stress by-product. Increased testosterone also weakens the immune system. The suppression makes sense. Otherwise, the entire species would become so aggressive that they would eventually kill each other and may be many of the other species too.
The immuno suppressive effect keeps the stress handling or aggressive features within survival limits.
The Leaders
The ultimate goal of natural selection would be to produce a very few best of the species. One of the desired qualities of this very best is the ability to handle great amounts of stress or habour a continued aggression. So, only a few get away with this immuno suppressive behavior.
Here, I certainly do not mean the leaders as is meant in human perception. Looking at most leaders today, we would begin to question the purpose of natural selection itself.