What is survival of the fittest

Many of these individuals may not produce enough antibodies or killer T cells to counter the virus, which allows the virus to multiply unchecked and cause a severe infection. Normally, there is a wide range of microorganisms, both harmful and benign, that live in harmony in the lungs. However, as the coronavirus spreads, it is likely that the infection and the inflammation that ensues will disrupt this balance, allowing harmful bacteria present in the lungs to dominate.

Also, because ACE2 is present throughout the body, the killer T cells from phase 1 can destroy virus-infected cells across multiple organs, causing more widespread destruction. Thus, patients that produce excessive cytokines and T cells can die from injury not only to the lungs but also to other organs such as the heart and kidneys. Because the majority of people recover from coronavirus infection , it is likely that a vaccine that triggers neutralizing antibodies and T cells to block the virus from getting into the cells and replicate is likely to be successful.

Additionally, in patients who transition to a more severe form such as ARDS and cytokine storm, which is often lethal, there is an urgent need for novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

These drugs can broadly suppress the cytokine storm without causing excessive suppression of immune response, thereby enabling the patients to clear the coronavirus without damage to the lung and other tissues. Dictionary Entries Near survival of the fittest survival of actions survival of the fittest survival value See More Nearby Entries.

Statistics for survival of the fittest Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. Medical Definition of sur viv al of the fittest. More from Merriam-Webster on survival of the fittest Britannica. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. Love words? How their contributions benefit the group as a whole. Without them we would be deprived of much of our art and scientific progress. Among evolutionary biologists, who tend to subscribe to the vision of lone individuals hell-bent on reproducing their own DNA, the idea that species include individuals whose traits promote group survival is hotly debated and, not long ago, could practically get you kicked out of the academy.

But the idea makes sense. Possibly because of their value to the group. Cain looks at the work of Dr. Elaine Aron, who has spent years studying introverts, and is one herself. In explaining the idea of different personality traits as part of group selection in evolution, Aron offers this story in an article posted on her website :. But the non-sensitive ones [extroverts] would be the ones more likely to go out and face the lion.

Hence there are more of them than there are of us, since they are willing and even happy to do impulsive, dangerous things that will kill many of us. But also, they are willing to protect us and hunt for us, if we are not as good at killing large animals, because the group needs us. We have been the healers, trackers, shamans, strategists, and of course the first to sense danger. So together the two types survive better than a group of just one type or the other. All the while, English politics were drifting to the left.

Anything that had any scent of government regulation about it, he associated with socialism. Science and philosophy had moved on as well. Still, as remote as Spencer and his ideas seem today, he was a vital figure in his own time, Barton says. Dan Falk is a science journalist based in Toronto. Herbert Spencer introduced the phrase "survival of the fittest" in his book, Principles of Biology.

Herbert Spencer as a young man Engraving by Geo. Perine Born in Derby in central England, Spencer was largely self-taught.