Riddled with life
Subtitle: friendly worms, ladybug sex, and the parasites that make us who we are
By: Marlene Zuk.
Publisher: Harcourt
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Orlando
Language: eng
Number of pages: 328
ISBN-13: 9780151012251
Subjects: Pathology; Human ecology; Medical parasitology; Human evolution; Host-parasite relationships; Adaptation (Biology); Adaptation, Biological; Disease -- etiology; Evolution; Host-Parasite Relations
Description: According to evolutionary biologist Zuk, germs and disease don't deserve their bad rep. Drawing on recent research and her own studies, she explains why disease is mankind's best friend, indeed the key that jump-started the entire evolutionary explosion. Along the way, she answers questions many of us dare not ask, such as: Why don't male birds have penises? Why are we attracted to our mates? Zuk also describes the function of STDs and explains why women live longer than men. Her wide-ranging sampling of stories from the natural will appeal to everyone who enjoys popular science.--From publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Why doctors need Darwin; title: Friendly worms and the price of victory; title: Not such a bad case; title: The race with sex that's never won; title: When sex makes you sick; title: The sicker sex; title: Parasites and picking the perfect partner; title: When how you feel is how you look; title: Taking care; title: Bad but not weird: the real emerging diseases; title: Who's in charge here, anyway?.