Humans and Parasites

Charles Darwin’s theories on evolution state that all life on earth developed gradually through natural selection over millions of years. By tracing two organism’s branching biological lineage backwards, at some point the two organisms would have been related to each other in one way or another. William McNeill contends that at a basic level that all living things behave alike and that humans are actually “macroparasites.” Well, we all know old habits are hard to change and there should be no doubt that humans and other organisms act like one another in order to continue their lives and species.

Disease is something that affects all of us, but what actually is disease? Many things cause disease. Some diseases can be contracted through drinking tainted water, others while having unprotected sex, and sometimes the mutations that occur during conception. Disease is basically anything that impacts an organism in a way that puts that organism at a disadvantage in a certain environment. Mental health problems and alcoholism are both things referred to as disease because both things put the person suffering at a disadvantage in their community. Diseases can be seen through various signs and symptoms that occur as a result of having the disease. For example, someone addicted to Facebook will show symptoms such as putting off worldly responsibilities or sleep to chat with friends on the internet. So, diseases can come in all shapes and forms.

Epidemics began to first manifest themselves around the time man-made the switch from hunting and gathering to livestock and agriculture. The close relationship shared between humans and animals allowed for bacteria and viruses to be passed from the animals to the humans. In most cases...

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...o matter which way an organism spreads, the mechanism by which it operates is very similar. Biological success is measured through reproduction rather than the age to which something lives. Humans have used disease to their advantage in to create a better society for themselves. Biological success says that a successful individual will produce more children, who then produce more children creating a legacy. In this respect, humans are very successful parasites. According to Merrium-Websters online dictionary, a parasite is “something that resembles a biological parasite in dependence on something else for existence or support without making a useful or adequate return.” Humans have made a way of life enslaving and living off of other humans and organisms. In the end one thing is certain, humans and parasites are a lot more similar than we would like to admit.