An Endangered species in the stomach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Endangered species in the stomach - Assignment Example ments established that when the immune system was exposed to the bacterium, the antibodies in the serum were able to identify some of the organism’s proteins products. CagA protein was the first product that was recognized by the antibodies. Later research corroborated Dr. Barry J. Marshall’s findings that people who host the H. pylori strain carrying the CagA gene are more prone to peptic ulcers and stomach cancers. The article is silent about the prize that Barry J. Marshall won for establishing the link between the microbe and the stomach ulcer formation. In fact, he faced indifference and hostility when he proposed the linkage between the absence of H. pylori and increased incidence of GERD and esophageal cancers. Subsequent studies however did corroborate his findings which can be considered as an acknowledgment of his work. H. pylori is an ancient and genetically diverse organism. Its origin can be traced to the s1a variation of the vacA gene primarily found in northern Europe, s1b variation found in the Mediterranean area and the s1c variations predominant in East Asia. An anthropologist would be interested in knowing whether the strains circulating in different regions of the world bear any resemblance or are absolutely different from one another. This information can then be used by the anthropologist to trace human settlement and migration patterns. Helicobacter pylori can be referred to as a necessary evil for the human body as it has proved to be good and bad at the same time. The bacterium plays a pivotal role in controlling stomach acidity. Its presence thwarts the exposure of the lower esophagus to highly acidic stomach contents and thereby cuts the risk of inflammation in the esophagus. At the same time, the presence of Helicobacter pylori in the human body increases the risk of contracting peptic ulcers and stomach cancers. Such cancers occur due to the inflammation caused by the microbe in the stomach. In nutshell, the presence of