Defining Human Differences in Biomedicine

An extensive literature reflects millennia of concern over what we humans call ourselves and others. All life sciences are now grappling further with how to categorize and study the nearly infinite polymorphisms within and among “species†as awareness grows that the species concept itself is inadequate. Human medicine, however, is in a unique position in that not only must it confront these problems of categorization that plague all life sciences, but this effort occurs in a complex sociopolitical context. For any comments, suggestions e-mail :medicine_editors@plos.org