Even Lord Vader Needs Help Breathing |
Differences
in altitude can create a stress on humans that can disrupt the homeostasis. High
altitude creates a stressor on the body by affecting the concentration of oxygen in the upper
atmosphere. There is much less oxygen and thus makes it harder to properly
perfuse all cells with less oxygen available for the body. In the short term adaptation,
the body will increase perfusion with less available oxygen by increasing heart rate and
respiratory rate to manage the proper oxygen saturation levels. From here, an
individual will undergo a facultative adaptation and the beginning of
acclimation causing the production of many more red blood cells to transport
and hold oxygen. Additional capillaries to store blood and help perfuse the
body will be created and the lung capacity will increase to allow for more
oxygen to be processed with each breath.
More Red Blood Cells |
Lung Capacity Increases |
With the lung capacity and adequate
heart conditions being a survival necessity, any member of the population that
cannot keep up with the body's demand will die out causing a developmental
adaptation upon birth of the next population have better genetics for enlarged
lung capacity and heart volume. Cultural adaptations for the stressor of
altitude could include a change in clothing which would likely be very warm to
ensure a warm core temperature, but also be extremely light weight to lighten
the load of which one has to carry at such a high altitude. This would allow
the body to put less stress on the heart while also maintaining required
temperatures to function.
Light, Yet Warm Clothing |
The benefits of studying human
variation along this perspective are of great magnitude in the understanding of
how to improve oxygenation within the medical field as well as within the
sporting world. The information from tests of high altitude training can allow
athletes to find out the best ways in which to maximize their red blood cells
and their oxygenation for peak performance. Medical understandings can change
as to how best in increase the perfusion rate of a patient that has not been
breathing or has inadequate perfusion to the body.
While race could prove as a somewhat
helpful determining factor of someone who did live in a high altitude region,
it is extremely inaccurate due to the ability of a person to migrate to a
different location and live there for generations and lose any possible
advantage that was previously held in the high altitude. I think that someone's
current home is a much better indicator than race in the case of being adapted
for high altitude simply because of the extreme short term effects. Genetic
advantages may linger in someone who moves to a lower altitude, but the body
will adjust once again to a lower altitude somewhat nullifying the effects in a
very short time.