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Light micrograph of a section through the spleen of a patient with Gaucher's disease. Small lymphocytes and large macrophage cells (Gaucher?s cells, pink, a type of white blood cell) are present. Gaucher's disease is an inherited metabolic disorder in which a fatty substance called glucocerebroside accumulates in the spleen (in macrophages), lungs, liver and bone marrow, and sometimes the brain. This is due to an absence of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GC). The disease appears in childhood, and some forms are fatal in the first few years. Other forms cause enlargement of the affected organs, weak and painful bones and anaemia. Some forms also cause severe nervous system damage. There is no cure, but enzyme replacement therapy using GC can relieve the symptoms. Haematoxylin-eosin saffron (HES) stain. Magnification: x400 at 24x36 mm size.

Genes for Gaucher disease may have protected Jewish people against TB

6 February 2023

Gaucher disease, a genetic condition that is more common in Ashkenazi Jewish people, may confer protection against tuberculosis, according to research in zebrafish

Illustration of a Neolithic farming village

Evolution of lactose tolerance probably driven by famine and disease

27 July 2022

Archaeological and genetic evidence casts doubt on the idea that the ability to digest lactose after infancy evolved gradually

Ancient Britons rapidly evolved to cope with lack of sunlight

29 March 2022

The DNA of people who lived in Great Britain thousands of years ago has markers of natural selection at work – and the driving force seems to have been a shortage of vitamin D

Richard Lewontin: Pioneering evolutionary biologist dies aged 92

5 July 2021

Richard Lewontin was an evolutionary biologist who showed that most genetic variation is within populations rather than between “racial” groups

DNA analysis of people in West Africa reveals 'ghost' human ancestor

12 February 2020

Four West African populations may carry genes from an undiscovered archaic hominin that diverged from a shared ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans and modern humans

Long strand of DNA from Neanderthals found in people from Melanesia

17 October 2019

Most humans have small snippets of DNA inherited from ancient hominins like Neanderthals. Now the first study shows some people have long stretches of it

We need to talk about technology that people use to influence others

2 October 2019

Multi-agent artificial intelligence simulations could show us how to help people live in harmony – or how to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment. We must agree rules for its use

The story of how humans got to the Americas isn’t a simple one

25 September 2019

The New World wasn’t conquered by a single group of people - different populations migrated and interbred in a tangled web. This is the new normal for human evolution

European populations have accumulated many mutations

Europeans have steadily accumulated mutations for thousands of years

9 September 2019

The number of mildly harmful mutations in the European population has increased over the last 45,000 years, a lingering effect of early migration into Europe