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The article “Does Race Exist?” by Michael J. Bamshad and Steve E. Olson, poses two main questions; can scientists use race to separate the human population into their genetic makeup groups? And can race be used to determine how a group in a population will react to certain diseases and medication? Both questions have been researched before but neither have a certain or clear answer.

            Question one has a few factor that make it hard to answer. The definition of race can have a different perspective in countries all around the world, making it hard to identify one’s actual race.  Additionally, one’s genetic makeup is controlled by more than one set of genes. In other words, just because your genes say you have brown skin, does not account for the rest of your genetic makeup. You could be more closely related to European ancestors than your African ones. To even begin to answer this question, scientists use DNA (specifically the base pairs) to determine the degree of similarity between two different people. While comparing DNA, scientists have also discovered and identified millions of polymorphisms. These tend to be neutral and show a history of natural selection. However, comparing these polymorphisms can be difficult due to the recent divergent evolution and mixed mating. Using the data collected during the comparisons of Alus (short strands of DNA) still can provide enough information to determine rough groups in a population. It turns out that yes, you can see racially influenced groups, but if you try to divide a main group into a sub group, in is almost impossible. An example would be India, who has been highly influenced by Europeans and East Asians, making it difficult to separate the India’s specific genetic makeup. Therefore, race cannot be of any help in determining these sub groups, for it is just a homologous feature as a result of natural selection. For scientists to be 100% accurate in their conclusion, they would need thousands of Alus from around the world, which is almost impossible to get currently.

            The second question also runs into a few problems. Doctors often take ones race into consideration when thinking about prescription medication or medical trials. They do so rightfully for it has been proven that certain races respond differently to diseases. An example would be HIV-1, the eventually leads to AIDS, has a slower progression rate in European- Americans than it does in African- Americans. There has been some controversy in using racial profile as a factor in the medical world because some view it as being racist, for they believe that the different responses to medication are negligible. Also, doctors have run into privacy and consent problems. However, it is generally accepted that for a doctor to use ones race as a determining factor in the medical world does have its benefits and could be important for one’s health.