Digging Up Dirt on Earwax

Practicing otoscopy during my ENT placement made me curious as to why my predominantly Caucasian colleagues had very different earwax to me. Well, a single base change in the ABCC11 gene, and voila -- we have our wet and dry earwax types that each dominate in different ethnicities. In this episode, I explore the molecular genetic history of earwax (shoutout to mostly the Japanese for this research), what selective advantages dry earwax may have, and the very compelling link between wet earwax and smellier pits after gym class...

Papers referenced and more: https://thatmedkid.com/podcast/