Arianna Mason

Dwarfism is typically defined as having a height of 4 foot 10 inches or less in adulthood. Along with short stature, it can also lead to bowed legs, a disproportionately large head, and short limbs. It is most commonly caused by a genetic disorder called achondroplasia. This type of dwarfism is still rare and only seen in about 1 in 15,000 to 40,000 individuals. Because of this, the lives of those of short stature have always been very unique. Ancient Times (Egypt) Writings and imagery from ancient Egypt have shown that dwarfism may have been seen as a connection to the divine. It is thought…

Tutankhamun, or King Tut, was a young man that ruled ancient Egypt for a short period during the 14th century B.C. He, unfortunately, died as a teenager and was buried in an area called the Valley of the Kings. This site is where his body was found by archaeologists in 1922. The Health of King Tut Upon the discovery of Tutankhamun’s remains, researchers also discovered that the teenage king was not in good health before his death. They found that he had a deformity in the form of a clubbed foot and that bones in some of his toes were dying due to…

The Black Death was a pandemic, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, that wreaked havoc on Europe from 1347 to 1351 A.D. During this period, King Edward III of England purchased a piece of land that he decided would be a cemetery for the victims. This burial ground, now containing over 700 people, is being used to investigate the influence that the Black Death had on human genomes. The ERAP2 Gene and the Black Death ERAP2 is a DNA sequence that is located on chromosome five. The gene codes for an enzyme that helps process foreign substances so they can be presented to the immune system.…

King Henry VIII of England reigned between the years 1509 and 1547 A.D. He produced three heirs and formed the Church of England during this time. However, he also caused extreme turmoil both within his family and within England. Between the execution of two of his six wives and his abandonment of multiple children, many scholars have wondered why his actions seemed so erratic and cruel. One of their prevailing theories is that the king suffered from a rare genetic condition called McLeod syndrome which is known to cause psychosis and irritability. The Life of King Henry VIII Henry was never meant to be king as…

With the recent release of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix, interest in the historical figures that inspired its characters has skyrocketed. However, many people are unaware of the genetic disorders that plagued the real-life Queen Charlotte’s family. King George III's Disease As he does in the series, the real King George suffered with his mental health. During particularly difficult episodes, he was known to write letters with 400-word sentences as well as talk so much that foam would come from his mouth. Though doctors at the time could not diagnose the king, modern-day physicians have attempted to explain the now-deceased monarch’s condition.…