Why we need to protect polar bears
Polar bears are being increasingly threatened by the effects of climate change, but their
disappearance could have far-reaching consequences. They are uniquely adapted to the
extreme conditions of the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can reach -40°C. One reason for
this is that they have up to 11 centimetres of fat underneath their skin. Humans with
comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer
from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences.
A 2014 study by Shi Ping Liu and colleagues sheds light on this mystery. They compared the
genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives from a warmer climate, the
brown bears. This allowed them to determine the genes that have allowed polar bears to
survive in one of the toughest environments on Earth. Liu and his colleagues found the polar
bears had a gene known as APOB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) -
a form of 'bad' cholesterol. In humans, mutations of this gene are associated with increased
risk of heart disease. Polar bears may therefore be an important study model to understand
heart disease in humans.
The genome of the polar bear may also provide the solution for another condition, one that
particularly affects our older generation: osteoporosis. This is a disease where bones show
reduced density, usually caused by insufficient exercise, reduced calcium intake or food
starvation. Bone tissue is constantly being remodelled, meaning that bone is added or
removed, depending on nutrient availability and the stress that the bone is under. Female
polar bears, however, undergo extreme conditions during every pregnancy. Once autumn
comes around, these females will dig maternity dens in the snow and will remain there
throughout the winter, both before and after the birth of their cubs. This process results in
about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs
alive, depleting their own calcium and calorie reserves. Despite this, their bones remain
strong and dense.
Physiologists Alanda Lennox and Allen Goodship found an explanation for this paradox in
2008. They discovered that pregnant bears were able to increase the density of their bones
before they started to build their dens. In addition, six months later, when they finally
emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no evidence of significant loss of bone
density. Hibernating brown bears do not have this capacity and must therefore resort to major
bone reformation in the following spring. If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar
bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially
benefit.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. Polar bears suffer from various health problems due to the build-up of fat under their skin.
2. The study done by Liu and his colleagues compares different groups of polar bears.
3. Liu and colleagues were the first researchers to compare polar bears and brown bears
genetically.
4. Polar bears are able to control their levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.
5. Female polar bears are able to survive for about six months without food.
6. It was found that the bones of female polar bears were very weak when they came out of
their dens in spring.
7. The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone density could also be used by people one
day.
Questions 8-10: Choose three correct statements from all the statements below:
A. Polar bears have a layer of fat under their skin that is up to 11 centimeters thick.
B. Humans with similar levels of adipose tissue as polar bears are immune to heart diseases.
C. The APOB gene found in polar bears is associated with reducing levels of LDL
cholesterol.
D. Brown bears share the same genetic adaptation as polar bears to survive in Arctic
conditions.
E. Female polar bears increase their bone density before hibernating in maternity dens.
F. Polar bears lose significant bone density during their six-month fasting period.
G. Brown bears undergo major bone reformation after hibernation in the spring.
H. The genetic structure of polar bears can help scientists understand heart diseases in
humans.
