What does "endemic" mean?

When something is said to be "endemic", it means that it is characteristic of the area and naturally present in the region. Biologists often use this term to describe plants and animals and epidemiologists can also be used. On the other hand, the narrowly related word "epidemic" means that something new is in this area and not naturally. "Endemic" comes from the Greek en-, a prefix that means "in", and

endemic vegetation and animals are often vulnerable to changes in their natural environment. Unlike organisms with whatIt calls "cosmopolitan distribution", which means they are found in many areas, endemic organisms are limited. This means that widespread human activity, natural disasters and climate change can all endanger the prosperity of the population. Many endangered organisms are considered endemic, so their protection is even more demanding.

In epidemiology, an endemic disease is a disease that is naturally present in the population rather than about disease. For example, malaria is endemic for many parts of Africa and Southeast Asia with a relatively stable degree of infection between the general population. Sometimes such diseases can play an active role in evolution; For example, many people of African origin suffer from sickle cells, a disease that is closely associated with malarial regions.

Just because something is naturally present does not mean that it is not harmful. For example, Poison Ivy is an endemic for northeast regioNY North America and most people consider this plant extremely irritating. These organisms may also endanger their environment if the environment becomes unbalanced; For example, an endemic deer can experience an explosion of the population if predators are excluded, leading to excessive odor and suffering for smaller animals. The balance of the original populations of plants and animals is often very fragile and small disturbances can mean a huge difference.