International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 18-26 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 18 Feature Review Open Access Human Genetic Response to Environmental Change: Biological Adaptation to Global Climate Change Fanfan Tian Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214000, Zhejiang, China Corresponding author email: chr_tianfanfan@163.com International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2024, Vol.14, No.1 doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2024.14.0003 Received: 15 Dec., 2023 Accepted: 23 Jan., 2024 Published: 19 Feb., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Tian, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Tian F.F., 2024, Human genetic response to environmental change: biological adaptation to global climate change, International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 14(1): 18-26 (doi: 10.5376/ijmec.2024.14.0003) Abstract The study comprehensively explored the genetic response of humans to global climate change, particularly the genetic adaptation strategies revealed through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The study conducted an in-depth analysis of the current situation of global climate change and its wide-ranging impacts on human society and health, emphasizing the importance of understanding human genetic response mechanisms. The biological basis of genetic adaptability was introduced, including the role of genetic variation and natural selection, as well as the impact of environmental stress. On this basis, the principles and methods of GWAS technology were further elaborated, as well as its role and significance in revealing human genetic adaptation to environmental factors such as temperature changes and increased ultraviolet radiation. The challenges faced in using GWAS to study human adaptability were discussed, and technological advancements, especially high-throughput sequencing technology and the application of artificial intelligence in data analysis, were explored to help overcome these challenges. This study aims to provide a new perspective for understanding human genetic adaptability and scientific basis and strategic recommendations for addressing the challenges of climate change in the future. Keywords Global climate change; Environmental change; Genetic adaptability; Genome-wide association studies (GWAS); Biological adaptation 1 Introduction Global climate change is one of the most severe environmental issues facing the world today. The direct consequences include rising temperatures, an increase in extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changes in ecosystems (Lamaoui et al., 2018), which have profound impacts on all living organisms on Earth, including human society and health. For humans, climate change not only threatens the security of food and water resources, but may also exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases, trigger health and socio-economic issues, and threaten the living environment and quality of life for humans. Therefore, understanding how humans respond to environmental changes through genetic adaptation is not only a scientific issue, but also an urgent issue that needs to be addressed at the social, health, and even policy levels. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), as a powerful genetic research tool, reveal the genetic basis of many human diseases and physiological traits by analyzing the association between genetic variation and specific traits (Uffelmann et al., 2021). In recent years, with the development of sequencing technology and advances in bioinformatics, GWAS technology has been widely applied to study human genetic responses to environmental changes, especially in the context of global climate change. By analyzing genomic data from different geographical and environmental backgrounds, researchers have begun to understand how humans adapt to specific environments through genetic variation, including high-altitude, low oxygen environments, extreme temperature conditions, and so on. These studies not only enhance our understanding of human evolution, but also provide scientific basis for predicting future population health trends, and even provide reference for formulating public health strategies to adapt to climate change. The aim of this study is to integrate and analyze the results of GWAS research, identify key genetic markers that respond to climate change, explore the genetic response mechanisms of humans to environmental change, especially global climate change, and understand how these genetic variations help humans adapt to the constantly
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