Reflective Journal 4: The Genetics Of Short Sleepers

Reflective Journal 4- The Genetics of Short Sleepers Mutations are the basis of genetic variation, which allows evolution to occur (Waddell). Because of this, they are essential to the continuity of a species’ existence, especially if that species is constantly undergoing environmental changes. Although mutations are important in the evolutionary process, some of them have positive, negative, and neutral effects on populations, depending on the type and severity. For example, the rare genetic mutation Progeria causes accelerated aging and most of the people who are carriers will die around age thirteen because of a heart attack or stroke (Dvorsky). This would obviously be considered a negative genetic mutation in comparison to Short Sleeper’s mutation, which allows carriers to productively function off of less hours of sleep. Progeria is causing harm to individuals since most carriers die at such a young age, while Short Sleepers are generally productive members of society who are able to accomplish many of their goals in less amount of time (ABC News).

If a medication were created to mimic this mutation, it would not be nearly as safe. The average person needs a certain amount of sleep every night and without it there are severe consequences such as obesity, diabetes, and even early death (Consequences of Insufficient Sleep). This medication could potentially be compared to caffeine and other stimulants, which a great amount of research has concluded to cause further health problems. The medication would only be safe or comparable to the mutation if it would not affect the individual’s health and it was made out of natural