Adaptation-way of survival

“In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the population during that process. Thirdly, it is a phenotypic trait or adaptive trait, with a functional role in each organism, that is maintained and has evolved through natural selection.”

The phenotypic trait is recognizable in the specific behavior and appearance of an individual and being such, it is easy to follow in the generation line. Some of these traits become favorable and more often chosen and maintained within the population. For example, recent years show that a healthy lifestyle includes a change in the diet where people prefer to eat plant-based food. Besides being a trend, a choice like this will bring changes in phenotypes ( and genotypes) of new generations. People become lean and active, better focused and kinder. But what is happening with their biochemical structure? Is it changed? The set of enzymes responsible for breaking meat proteins is now reorganized and changed towards new substrates.

Finally changes in enzyme structure, the food we consume and which will finally “make us”, is also changing our genetic code. The genotype is transformed and new genes are transferred to the next generation. We are giving the next generations better choices for living, better quality and longevity of life. And what is the best-it is done by pure choice.

Photo by Rural Explorer on Unsplash