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Humans and aging. Olivia Wallden. Can aging be induced early?. -High levels of stress -Not eating healthy -Not exercising. What are the symptoms of aging?. Physical signs: -wrinkles on skin -hair grays and thins -gain weight -problems with organs -tooth decay -slower metabolism
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Humans and aging Olivia Wallden
Can aging be induced early? -High levels of stress -Not eating healthy -Not exercising
What are the symptoms of aging? Physical signs: -wrinkles on skin -hair grays and thins -gain weight -problems with organs -tooth decay -slower metabolism -trouble sleeping Mental signs: -memory loss -forgetfulness -slight mental decline -fluctuation of moods -development of diseases such as Alzheimer's
At what age do you think people begin to show signs of aging?
Why do we age? -Damage based theory: the concept that damage, either due to normal toxic by-products of metabolism or inefficient repair/defensive systems, accumulates throughout the entire lifespan and causes aging. -Programmed theories of aging the concept that defends that aging is a genetically-determined, programmed process.
What happens to us on a cellular level as we age? -A cell will no longer divide when the telomere is completely gone. The telomere exists on the tails of our coding DNA strands - Our hair grays because the pigment cells in our hair follicles that release the pigment melanin gradually die, and the pigment becomes more transparent -The human brain shrinks about 2-3% per decade, usually starting around 30 or 40 years old.
Does aging serve a biological purpose? Mammals -Increase in mortality with age -No oocyte regeneration -Limited tissue regeneration -Two sets of teeth Reptiles -No increase in mortality with age -Oocyte regeneration -Limb regeneration -Continuous tooth replacement
Does aging serve a biological purpose? -Species survival -Encourages evolution Crocodiles have a "fixed" life expectancy, and have evolved very little over millions of years.
What is a disease? A disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury
Can aging be cured? -Telomerase repairs the telomere of a cell -Changing organs at regular intervals to increase lifespan of the brain -Enzymes and antioxidants can repair the damage caused by reactive oxygen species -Optimizing or enhancing DNA repair mechanisms
Can aging be cured? Seven forms of molecular/cellular damage: -Cell loss, tissue atrophy -Nuclear [epi]mutations (only cancer matters) -Mutant mitochondria -Death-resistant cells -Tissue stiffening -Extracellular aggregates -Intracellular aggregates These damages accumulate with age