Re: Aging an Science vs astrology!


hlexi wrote:
Hi all,
i read one posting that linked aging to the month in which an
individual was born!
How scientific can that be? i thought aging was as a result of cells
reaching a stage where they are unable to further divide,thus dying out
without being replaced.Can someone please enlighten me!
-Hlexi-

Yes, aging IS related to the month in which you are born!!! If you
were born in January 2006, you are older than if you were born in Feb.
2006.

Okay, I'll be serious now.

Aging is caused by many things, many of which are still unknown. One
of the reasons cells age is because after each cell division, the
chromosomes shorten (in areas called telomeres). Eventually, the
telomeres will be used up, and if replication were allowed to continue,
actual genes would be lost. Obviously, this poses a big problem.
Cells that are still young have telomerase, which will help extend the
chromosomes back to their origial size. However, as cells age, they
tend to not have functioning telomerase, and the chromosomes keep
shortening. Eventually, the cells can no longer divide because further
divisions will result in the loss of genes--a lethal event for a cell.

So the "Fountain of Youth" would be to re-activate telomerase in our
body's aging cells, right? Well, not quite. Overactive telomerase can
lead to cancer.

There's a really good chapter called "Cancer and Aging" in the book
"Molecular Biology Made Simple and Fun" by David Clark. You should
look into that.

Also, there's an idea that free radicals and toxic oxygen species play
a role in aging.....but I don't really know much about that.

--Alex

***************************
Alex B. Berezow, Grad Student
Dept. of Microbiology
University of Washington School of Medicine
Seattle, WA 98115

.

Relevant Pages

  • The Evolution of Death.
    ... "Did biology evolve a way to protect offspring from the ravages of aging ... those cells divided only a limited number ... the mother cells accumulated the cellular aberrations that signaled aging. ... In the case of yeast, the bud is the stem cell, ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: "Fold Equity" ...definition and example please
    ... senescence is the state or process of aging. ... shortening of telomeres with each cell cycle; ... short, the cells die. ...
    (rec.gambling.poker)
  • Re: By what margin do rates of ageing vary
    ... their physical condition matches the physical condition of the world ... but few people would define aging so simplistically. ... Cells are programmed to divide only so many times and then expire. ... Nature does fairly well at ...
    (sci.med)
  • Re: Hmm, that looks interesting
    ... My interest would be in aging. ... Many organisms show no signs of age related decay. ... our cells and maintain a person indefinitely. ... effects of immortality (or effective rejuvenation) on power and politics.. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: MORGAN
    ... Wouldn't suprise me. ... It's really interesting to watch how fast they are ... aging him considering technically he was born right around the same time as ...
    (rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc)