--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In an epidemic those people with genes…" description: "\"“In an epidemic those people with genes for resistance to that particular microbe are more likely to survive than are people lacking such genes. As a r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png" --- # In an epidemic those people with genes for resistance to… ![“In an epidemic those people with genes for resistance to that particular microbe are more likely to survive than are people lacking such genes. As a result, over the course of history, human populations repeatedly exposed to a particular pathogen have come to consist of a higher proportion of…” quote by Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png) > ““In an epidemic those people with genes for resistance to that particular microbe are more likely to survive than are people lacking such genes. As a result, over the course of history, human populations repeatedly exposed to a particular pathogen have come to consist of a higher proportion of individuals with those genes for resistance—just because unfortunate individuals without the genes were less likely to survive to pass their genes on to babies.”” [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Natural selection favors resistant genes, shaping populations over time as vulnerable individuals die out. **In simple terms:** Resistant genes spread, vulnerable ones fade. Key Takeaway Recognize genetic influence on disease outcomes. Themes evolution genetics population health survival history Mood thoughtful analytical Type scientific educational When to use this quote - Public health policy - medical research - education campaigns - genetic counseling Key Concepts Natural selection genetic drift pathogen pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural practices affect disease resistance? - Can we ethically intervene in genetic selection? A Different Perspective Genetic factors are only one part of disease risk; environment matters too. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [While nobody has identified any gene for religion, there are certainly some candidate genes that may influence human personality and confer a tendency to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/while-nobody-has-identified-any-gene-for-religion-there-are-certainly/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [“We're seeing an epidemic of people who are having a hard time making the transition to work — kids who had too much success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-levine/we-re-seeing-an-epidemic-of-people-who-are-having-a-hard-time-making/) Mel Levine > [I think there are people with the genes for being natural performers. Sometimes they go haywire and destroy themselves because of it and because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-moorehead/i-think-there-are-people-with-the-genes-for-being-natural-performers/) [Agnes Moorehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-moorehead/) > [People's genes can say a great deal about their health. There are genes that reveal an increased likelihood of getting cancer, heart disease or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cohen/people-s-genes-can-say-a-great-deal-about-their-health-there-are/) [Adam Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cohen/) > [“I believe that today we’re facing a psychological epidemic, one in which people no longer realize it’s okay for things to suck sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/i-believe-that-today-we-re-facing-a-psychological-epidemic-one-in/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) ## More by Jared Diamond > [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [What did the last Easter Islander say as he chopped down the last tree? The Easter Islanders didnt have anthropologists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/what-did-the-last-easter-islander-say-as-he-chopped-down-the-last/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“We come to conquer this land by his command, that all may come to a knowledge of God and of His Holy Catholic Faith;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-come-to-conquer-this-land-by-his-command-that-all-may-come-to-a/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“With the rise of chiefdoms around 7,500 years ago, people had to learn, for the first time in history, how to encounter strangers regularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/with-the-rise-of-chiefdoms-around-7-500-years-ago-people-had-to-learn/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Human societies vary in lots of independent factors affecting their openness to innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/human-societies-vary-in-lots-of-independent-factors-affecting-their/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [No government is here forever. And there are other forces - the most potent force in our society, in fact, big business - doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/no-government-is-here-forever-and-there-are-other-forces-the-most/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“Those parasites pass to a person from an eaten animal, but the virus causing laughing sickness (kuru) in the New Guinea highlands used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/those-parasites-pass-to-a-person-from-an-eaten-animal-but-the-virus/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“...invokes the supposed stimulatory effects of their homeland's cold climate and the inhibitory effects of hot, humid, tropical climates on human creativity and energy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/invokes-the-supposed-stimulatory-effects-of-their-homeland-s-cold/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“Throughout the Americas, diseases introduced with Europeans spread from tribe to tribe far in advance of the Europeans themselves, killing an estimated 95 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/throughout-the-americas-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-spread/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/history-followed-different-courses-for-different-peoples-because-of/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [We study the injustices of history for the same reason that we study genocide, and for the same reason that psychologists study the minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-study-the-injustices-of-history-for-the-same-reason-that-we-study/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [I decided that now is the time to start doing the things that really interest me and I find important. It was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/i-decided-that-now-is-the-time-to-start-doing-the-things-that-really/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“As a result of that confined distribution, peoples who pride themselves on being civilized have always viewed writing as the sharpest distinction raising them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/as-a-result-of-that-confined-distribution-peoples-who-pride/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Infectious diseases introduced with Europeans, like smallpox and measles, spread from one Indian tribe to another, far in advance of Europeans themselves, and killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/infectious-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-like-smallpox-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [In fact, everywhere in the world there has been a flux between big and small societies. Big political units are constantly being formed, later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-fact-everywhere-in-the-world-there-has-been-a-flux-between-big-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) [Explore all 161 Jared Diamond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) ## More Epidemic People quotes > [“We're seeing an epidemic of people who are having a hard time making the transition to work — kids who had too much success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-levine/we-re-seeing-an-epidemic-of-people-who-are-having-a-hard-time-making/) Mel Levine > [“I believe that today we’re facing a psychological epidemic, one in which people no longer realize it’s okay for things to suck sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/i-believe-that-today-we-re-facing-a-psychological-epidemic-one-in/) [Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/) Browse all 3 Epidemic People quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In an epidemic those people with genes for resistance to that particular microbe are more likely to survive than are people lacking such genes. As a result, over the course of history, human populations repeatedly exposed to a particular pathogen have come to consist of a higher proportion of individuals with those genes for resistance—just because unfortunate individuals without the genes were less likely to survive to pass their genes on to babies.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jared Diamond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-for-resistance-to-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Epidemic People" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-for-resistance-to-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/065/jared-diamond-2519_epidemic-people_in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-f_1254724.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In an epidemic those people with genes for resistance to that particular microbe are more likely to survive…” — Jared Diamond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jared Diamond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In an epidemic those people with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-for-resistance-to-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-an-epidemic-those-people-with-genes-for-resistance-to-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```