Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes

by Nathan H. Lents

this horrible disease is caused by a deficiency in vitamin C. Without it, we cannot make collagen, an essential component of something called the extracellular matrix, or ECM. The ECM is like a microskeleton that runs through all of our organs and tissues, giving them shape and structure. Without vitamin C, the ECM gets weak, tissues lose integrity, bones become brittle, we bleed from various orifices, and our bodies basically fall apart.

this horrible disease is caused by a deficiency in vitamin C. Without it, we cannot make collagen, an essential component of something called the extracellular matrix, or ECM. The ECM is like a microskeleton that runs through all of our organs and tissues, giving them shape and structure. Without vitamin C, the ECM gets weak, tissues lose integrity, bones become brittle, we bleed from various orifices, and our bodies basically fall apart.

A single serving of rice and beans can give a whole day’s supply, provided that the rice is unrefined and the beans are of the black, red, or kidney variety.

A single serving of rice and beans can give a whole day’s supply, provided that the rice is unrefined and the beans are of the black, red, or kidney variety.

Additionally, there are many quirks about iron consumption that can further reduce absorption of it. For instance, we absorb iron best when it comes together with something else we readily absorb—for example, vitamin C.

Additionally, there are many quirks about iron consumption that can further reduce absorption of it. For instance, we absorb iron best when it comes together with something else we readily absorb—for example, vitamin C.

As if getting enough iron weren’t hard enough already, there are several other food molecules that actually interfere with iron absorption, particularly the iron in plants. Foods such as legumes, nuts, and berries—which we’re told to eat plenty of—contain polyphenols, which can reduce our ability to extract and absorb iron. Similarly, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are high in phytic acid, which tends to prevent iron from being absorbed by the small intestine.

As if getting enough iron weren’t hard enough already, there are several other food molecules that actually interfere with iron absorption, particularly the iron in plants. Foods such as legumes, nuts, and berries—which we’re told to eat plenty of—contain polyphenols, which can reduce our ability to extract and absorb iron. Similarly, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are high in phytic acid, which tends to prevent iron from being absorbed by the small intestine.

While eating a varied diet is a good strategy to acquire all the elements we need, including iron, it must be carefully varied, in such a way that iron-rich foods are not paired with those that prevent iron extraction.

While eating a varied diet is a good strategy to acquire all the elements we need, including iron, it must be carefully varied, in such a way that iron-rich foods are not paired with those that prevent iron extraction.

Another dietary component that interferes with iron absorption is calcium, which can reduce iron absorption by up to 60 percent. Thus, foods rich in calcium, such as dairy, leafy greens, and beans, should be consumed separately from foods rich in iron in order to maximize absorption, especially if the source of the precious iron in question is plant-based. If you go to the trouble of eating iron-rich foods but pair them with calcium-rich foods, you’ve negated your efforts. It’s not enough to eat the right foods to meet our exacting dietary needs; we must eat those foods in the correct combinations.

Another dietary component that interferes with iron absorption is calcium, which can reduce iron absorption by up to 60 percent. Thus, foods rich in calcium, such as dairy, leafy greens, and beans, should be consumed separately from foods rich in iron in order to maximize absorption, especially if the source of the precious iron in question is plant-based. If you go to the trouble of eating iron-rich foods but pair them with calcium-rich foods, you’ve negated your efforts. It’s not enough to eat the right foods to meet our exacting dietary needs; we must eat those foods in the correct combinations.

the fallopian tube is not actually connected to the ovary. Rather, the opening of the fallopian tube envelops the ovary, sort of like a too-large garden hose resting on a too-small spigot. The two are not actually attached, and sometimes an egg gets squirted out of the ovary and into the void of the abdominal cavity instead of into the fallopian tube.

the fallopian tube is not actually connected to the ovary. Rather, the opening of the fallopian tube envelops the ovary, sort of like a too-large garden hose resting on a too-small spigot. The two are not actually attached, and sometimes an egg gets squirted out of the ovary and into the void of the abdominal cavity instead of into the fallopian tube.

The redness and swelling are the result of blood vessels dilating and becoming more leaky, which accelerates the process of delivering immune cells and antibodies to the sites of infection. A fever is mounted in an effort to inhibit bacterial growth. Pain is the body’s way of nudging you to nurse and protect an infected wound or, in the case of a systemic infection, to lie down and rest, conserving energy for the immune fight. All of the symptoms of inflammation are the result of your body’s attempt to fight whatever is ailing you.

The redness and swelling are the result of blood vessels dilating and becoming more leaky, which accelerates the process of delivering immune cells and antibodies to the sites of infection. A fever is mounted in an effort to inhibit bacterial growth. Pain is the body’s way of nudging you to nurse and protect an infected wound or, in the case of a systemic infection, to lie down and rest, conserving energy for the immune fight. All of the symptoms of inflammation are the result of your body’s attempt to fight whatever is ailing you.

A fledgling embryo develops immune cells while in utero. The very first thing that these cells do is participate in a phenomenon called clonal deletion. Clonal deletion is the process by which the developing immune cells in a fetus are presented with small bits of chewed-up proteins from the fetus’s own body. The immune cells that react to those bits of self-protein are then eliminated; they are “deleted” from the immune system. This process goes on for weeks and weeks, and the goal is to eliminate every single immune cell that has the potential to react to its own body. Only then is the immune system ready for action.

A fledgling embryo develops immune cells while in utero. The very first thing that these cells do is participate in a phenomenon called clonal deletion. Clonal deletion is the process by which the developing immune cells in a fetus are presented with small bits of chewed-up proteins from the fetus’s own body. The immune cells that react to those bits of self-protein are then eliminated; they are “deleted” from the immune system. This process goes on for weeks and weeks, and the goal is to eliminate every single immune cell that has the potential to react to its own body. Only then is the immune system ready for action.