Understanding the Differences Between Human Variation and...

Human variation and race are two topics that are often confused with one another. Human variation is the broad spectrum of differences in human populations based on gene interaction and biological traits. Race is the grouping of human populations based on phenotypes and cultural backgrounds. For example, human variation can be the differences among people that occur from migration as well as adaptations to environmental challenges. Race, on the other hand, can be the categorization of a specific group of people based on how they look, what they believe in, and country of origin. Understanding the difference between the two terms is important because history shows that when the two are mistaken for one another, wrongful analysis’ are made, as the African-American Heart Failure Trial experiment demonstrates. Only people who personally believed that they were African-American were eligible to be a conduct in the experiment. The information drawn from this experiment could not be relied upon because in reality, anybody can self-identify themselves as African-American. Skin color has a very wide range of differences, each differing from the next on the spectrum by only a spec of difference. Physical anthropology and human biology have shown that the visible differences in phenotype can best be explained as the results of migration and long term adaptation to different climates. Genes of major effects, genes of minor effects, and adaptations to the environment are all hugeShow MoreRelatedRace: Social Categorization, Not Biological Essay1450 Words   |   6 PagesThe English term ‘race’ is believed to originate from the Spanish word raza, which means ‘breed’ or ‘stock’ (Race). People use race to define other groups, this separation of groups is based largely on physical features. Features like skin color and hair don’t affect the fundamental biology of human variation (Hotz). 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