In light of all this, they suggest that insulin resistance, like obesity, should be viewed not as a pathology but as an adaptive response by the body to an excess of circulating lipids.

ECONOMIST: Metabolic syndrome

To digress for a moment, it was biologist Felix Meerson who showed that high-altitude chambers where oxygen supply is limited, triggers an adaptive response that produces humans with profound mental capabilities and resistance against disease.

FORBES: Is Ethical Human Genetic Enhancement Possible?

Whereas adaptive immunity is thought to be a response to specific bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, innate immunity has always been seen as the body's general response to all threats of disease.

ECONOMIST: Genetics and infectious disease: The germ of an idea | The

'The choice of adaptation policies is significant as they may either reinforce community resilience, enabling them to mobilize fully their endogenous adaptive capacities, or hamper or undermine their response.

UNESCO: Social and Human Sciences