Growing giants and savage peaks
Chapter 1
The geological engine of growth
View / Create
Answer
Chapter 2
Everest, the crowded giant
View / Create
Answer
Chapter 3
K2, the savage mountain
View / Create
Answer
Chapter 4
Surviving the death zone
View / Create
Answer
YOUR GOAL
Master of Growing giants and savage peaks
Ch 4 · Surviving the death zone
Fun Fact
Denisovan legacy: The gene that helps Tibetans survive at extreme altitudes was inherited from an extinct human relative called Denisovans.
Glossary
death zone (noun)
An altitude above eight thousand meters where the oxygen level is insufficient to sustain human life. In 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler climbed Mount Everest's peak without supplemental oxygen.
An altitude above eight thousand meters where the oxygen level is insufficient to sustain human life. In 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler climbed Mount Everest's peak without supplemental oxygen.
Quiz
What percentage of sea-level oxygen molecules is available at the summit of Mount Everest?
Quiz
Which gene variant helps Tibetans survive high altitudes without dangerous blood thickening?
Quiz
From which extinct human cousin did Tibetans inherit their high-altitude gene adaptation?
Quiz
What is the medical term for life-threatening brain swelling caused by extreme altitude?
Quiz
What insulation material is primarily used inside high-altitude climbing suits to trap body heat?